Bell Biv DeVoe, Leslie Odom Jr., among peformers

For 51 years, the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular has been a hallmark of the orchestra’s season, a massive annual performance that garners an estimated 300,000 people to the Charles River Esplanade to hear the Boston Pops perform with global guest stars.

This year’s performance will feature Tony- and Grammy-winning vocalist Leslie Odom Jr. of “Hamilton” fame, Roxbury native hip-hop trio Bell Biv DeVoe and headliner LeAnn Rimes, as well as the Soldiers’ Chorus of the United States Army Field Band and the Boston Children’s Chorus. It’s tradition for the orchestra to perform Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture,” every year as well.

Conductor Keith Lockhart is celebrating his 30-year anniversary as conductor of the Boston Pops this year. The Fireworks Spectacular is a performance he always looks forward to.

“That’s 30 years of fireworks, 30 years of performing the ‘1812 Overture,’ hundreds of dazzling guest artists and 30 years of magical nights on stage at the Hatch Shell with this phenomenal orchestra,” said Lockhart. “Every one of our July Fourth concerts is special to me.”

Audience members begin camping out on the Esplanade early in the morning on July 4 to get prime seats for the performance, although the Hatch Shell area officially opens to the public at 12 p.m. The free concert is one of the Boston Pops’ biggest events of the year. Following the concert, a fireworks show will burst out over the Charles River.

This year the concert is also a part of the Massachusetts 250 initiative commemorating the commonwealth’s revolutionary history. A few additional patriotic tunes will be played to honor that milestone.

Given the tense political and economic climate in the country, Lockhart says that some audience members might feel awkward celebrating the country. He hopes this is an opportunity to promote togetherness and reflection.

“This should be an interesting one coming up with what we could provide in terms of not just entertainment, but in terms of thought provocation,” said Lockhart. “America is an aspiration. It is a really good idea that we have slowly, sometimes successfully, sometimes not so successfully, tried to manifest.”

The Fireworks Spectacular is a free concert that takes place at the Hatch Shell on the Charles River Esplanade July 4 at 7 p.m. The performance is also broadcast on WHDH-TV Channel 7 from 7 to 10 p.m. and on the CW Network from 9 to 10 p.m.

This performance is an annual opportunity for Bostonians to come together to enjoy an accessible performance by world famous performers and the city’s beloved orchestra. It’s a moment for community, connection and art appreciation.

“That concert is one of the great civic events of the year,” said Lockhart. “It exists for all of Boston, for all Bostonians.”

ON THE WEB

Learn more at www.bso.org/boston-pops-fireworks-spectacular