‘A Capitol Fourth’ Celebrates America’s 250th a Day Early: Which Artists Are Playing This Year’s PBS Special?

The festivities will feature a slate of classic American acts.

Patti LaBelle at the BET Awards 2023 held at Microsoft Theater on June 25, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.

Christopher Polk/Variety

For the past 45 years, A Capitol Fourth has celebrated the nation’s birthday on July 4 live from the U.S. Capitol, bringing some of America’s most beloved performers together for an Independence Day concert and fireworks that is televised on PBS.

This year, as the country heralds its Semiquincentennial, A Capitol Fourth: 250th Weekend Celebration is starting early, moving its annual festivities to July 3 to get the jump on a crowded slate. “Not only are there tons of things going on in Washington, there’s tons of things going on all over the country,” says Michael Colbert, executive producer of A Capitol Fourth. “We’ve heard already from so many public television stations how excited they are that we’re kicking off this year a day early. Next year, we’ll go back to the Fourth, as we’ve always been.”