The Braves worked an entire year for this weekend. Their goal for the July 4 fireworks display at Truist Park was to “blow the place up,” Scott Cunningham, VP of fan experience for the team, told Front Office Sports.
Atlanta is among the Major League Baseball clubs that have unleashed huge postgame pyrotechnics shows for America’s 250th birthday. For months, team executives like Cunningham planned their July 4 weekend displays, sending fireworks bursting over 14 MLB stadiums—most as bigger-than-usual productions.
While fans take in the entertainment, they’re also watching the culmination of a sometimes-grueling effort that is as technical and tactical as it is theatrical.
MLB clubs and pyrotechnics companies told FOS that before the first shell streaked the sky this holiday weekend—or any other night of the season—they’ve already spent untold hours sourcing fireworks, mapping launch locations, coordinating with public safety officials, and meticulously designing themed shows timed to music. The spectacles last less than 10 minutes, but getting there is a year-round operation.
Baseball’s postgame pyrotechnics shows largely began as a marketing ploy to fill minor league stadiums for special occasions. They have since evolved into one of the sport’s signature experiences—as important to fans as they are to franchises looking to fill seats.
