Long Beach’s Big Bang Fireworks Are Done After 15 Years, Here’s What Happened

If you’ve been going to Alamitos Bay for the Fourth of July, you probably already know the drill. Boats packed in the water, people lined up along the sand, and that Big Bang fireworks show lighting everything up.

That’s not happening this year.

After about 15 years, the fireworks portion of Big Bang on the Bay is officially done, at least in its current form.

So what actually happened?

The short version is this:
The California Coastal Commission denied the permit for fireworks moving forward, so organizers can’t legally put the show on anymore.

But this didn’t come out of nowhere.

Last year was basically the warning shot. The Coastal Commission allowed the event to happen one last time with fireworks, but made it clear that starting in 2026, things would need to change. The main concerns were environmental, stuff like debris in the water and the impact on marine life.

So this year, that decision kicks in.

Does that mean the whole event is gone?

Not necessarily.

The event itself, Big Bang on the Bay, might still happen, but without fireworks. Organizers have talked about alternatives like drone shows, but nothing fully locked in yet.

So it’s not a full cancellation of the gathering, just the fireworks that made it what it was.

Are fireworks completely gone in Long Beach?

No.

Other shows are still happening. The Queen Mary, for example, is still planning to do its usual Fourth of July fireworks.

So if you’re just trying to see fireworks, you still have options. It’s just that Alamitos Bay won’t be one of them anymore.

Why people are split on it

This is where things get a little mixed.

Some people are frustrated and feel like a long-time tradition just got taken away. Others understand the environmental side and think it was only a matter of time before something changed.

Either way, it’s a pretty big shift for Long Beach.

If you grew up going to Big Bang, this is one of those things that feels weird to even say out loud, but yeah… that version of it is done.