NYC is giving out 100,000 free tickets to watch the Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks from prime areas throughout the city

Scoring a prime spot for the Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks usually requires camping out for hours. This year, New Yorkers will have another option: luck!

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced June 26 that the city will distribute 100,000 free tickets to prime fireworks viewing locations along the Brooklyn and Manhattan waterfronts, giving thousands of New Yorkers guaranteed access to some of the best seats in the house for the annual spectacular.

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The public lottery opens on Friday, June 26, and runs through Sunday, June 29. Winners will be notified between June 30 and July 2 and can claim up to four tickets each.

The free tickets will grant access to designated viewing areas at Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Seaport, two of the most coveted vantage points for the Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks. If you've ever spent Independence Day craning your neck from several avenues away or squeezed shoulder-to-shoulder with your neighbors on your rooftop, you know just how valuable that is.

"On the Fourth of July, Americans come together to look at where we've come as a nation, and where we want to go together in the future," Mayor Mamdani said in a statement. "Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers will gather along our waterfront to celebrate, and we're making sure that some of the best views are available for free."

Lottery winners will receive an email with instructions on how to claim their tickets and select their preferred viewing location. Each winner may reserve up to four tickets; children younger than 2 won't need one.

Didn't win the lottery? Don't panic. The city says additional, non-ticketed public viewing areas will be available along the FDR Drive in Manhattan, providing New Yorkers plenty of opportunities to catch the show.

The return of the fireworks to the East River this year already promised spectacular views from both Manhattan and Brooklyn. Now, with 100,000 free tickets up for grabs, New Yorkers have a chance to celebrate Independence Day without starting the day at sunrise to stake out a spot.

The public lottery opens June 26 and closes June 29. Winners will be notified between June 30 and July 2.

To enter the lottery, click here.