This year's Annual 4th of July Fireworks Celebration at "A" Mountain will be the city of Tucson's last with fireworks before it is replaced next year with a drone light show, the city announced Wednesday.
The mayor and City Council advised the city to make the switch to drones, wanting a show that is safer, said city spokesman Andrew Squire.
"The fireworks always put our area at risk, we always have fire hazards, and we have public safety personnel all over that mountain every year, trying to make sure that no fires start or any spot fires are put out,” Squire said.
Several volleys rise in the sky as an aircraft flys by at the annual 4th of July Fireworks Celebration at “A” Mountain on July 4, 2025.
The Fourth of July show sparked a brush fire in 2017, for instance, on "A" Mountain, also known as Sentinel Peak.
The Tucson Fire Department and Tucson Water work with the city to prepare the mountain and the surrounding area for the show, and remain on site to minimize any fire risk during and after the show.
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Drone shows are also a way to avoid the negative impacts that fireworks have on pets and people sensitive to loud noise and lights, Squire said.
“Fireworks also create a lot of problems for folks who suffer from PTSD, and for animals. We see so many animals show up at the shelter at Pima Animal Care Center after every Fourth of July,” he said.
The city plans to host a drone show that is still visible to a large audience. However, the event could move away from “A” Mountain due to a lack of space and possible signal interference, Squire said.
Photos: The 28th Annual 4th of July Fireworks Celebration at “A” Mountain
Several volleys rise in the sky as an aircraft flys by at the 28th Annual 4th of July Fireworks Celebration at “A” Mountain, Tucson, Ariz., July 4, 2025.
A burst from a firework fired in the surrounding neighborhood goes off just after sunset prior to the scheduled display for the 28th Annual 4th of July Fireworks Celebration at “A” Mountain, Tucson, Ariz., July 4, 2025.
Several bursts go off over the peak at the 28th Annual 4th of July Fireworks Celebration at “A” Mountain, Tucson, Ariz., July 4, 2025.
A display set off in Avenida del Convento lights up around the passing traffic just before the start at the 28th Annual 4th of July Fireworks Celebration at “A” Mountain, Tucson, Ariz., July 4, 2025.
The show lights up the night over the neighbors near the base of the mountain during the height of the 28th Annual 4th of July Fireworks Celebration at “A” Mountain, Tucson, Ariz., July 4, 2025.
A burst of wildcat fireworks lights up over several homes before the beginning of the real show, the 28th Annual 4th of July Fireworks Celebration at “A” Mountain, Tucson, Ariz., July 4, 2025.
A fire truck circles the peak as the fireworks go off overhead at the 28th Annual 4th of July Fireworks Celebration at “A” Mountain, Tucson, Ariz., July 4, 2025.
A shell flowers as two others arc for altitude at the 28th Annual 4th of July Fireworks Celebration at “A” Mountain, Tucson, Ariz., July 4, 2025.
A wildcat burst rises above the homes beneath Sentinel Peak right before the scheduled exhibition at the 28th Annual 4th of July Fireworks Celebration at “A” Mountain, Tucson, Ariz., July 4, 2025.
A shell explodes in the night sky at the 28th Annual 4th of July Fireworks Celebration at “A” Mountain, Tucson, Ariz., July 4, 2025.
Several shells go off at the start of the 28th Annual 4th of July Fireworks Celebration at “A” Mountain, Tucson, Ariz., July 4, 2025.
A wildcat shell goes off as the night starts to take over, about an hour before the 28th Annual 4th of July Fireworks Celebration at “A” Mountain, Tucson, Ariz., July 4, 2025.
Several shells burst as the show gets rolling at the 28th Annual 4th of July Fireworks Celebration at “A” Mountain, Tucson, Ariz., July 4, 2025.
Several types of shells go off at the 28th Annual 4th of July Fireworks Celebration at “A” Mountain, Tucson, Ariz., July 4, 2025.
Fireworks explode all around the top of Sentinel Peak as a fire truck circles the top at the 28th Annual 4th of July Fireworks Celebration at “A” Mountain, Tucson, Ariz., July 4, 2025.
The finale lights up the dark as the show winds down at the 28th Annual 4th of July Fireworks Celebration at “A” Mountain, Tucson, Ariz., July 4, 2025.
The event, which collects about $35,000 in donations, will likely cost more, depending on sponsors and equipment demands for putting on a big display, he said.
“Thirty-five-thousand dollars for a drone show is tiny, you're not going to see much,” he said. “The odds of the actual cost of the show going up are likely.”
Despite the changes, the city plans to keep the tradition going and make the show as visible and central in the city as possible, he said.
“The goal would be to try to keep it a celebration that builds on the traditions that have existed for a lot of families in the community for years and years,” Squire said.
This year's fireworks show is at 9 p.m. Saturday, July 4. Parking in the Tucson Convention Center's west side parking lot, 260 S. Church Ave., opens at 7 p.m.
