FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The program premieres live July 3rd at 8:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. CT on public television stations nationwide so that viewers across the nation can enjoy the event together with hundreds of thousands of people on-site.
To be certain of the air time in your area, be sure to CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS.

The livestream of A Capitol Fourth is available on this website, the A Capitol Fourth Facebook page, and on YouTube.
Video on Demand of the show is available for two weeks following the live broadcast.

The concert is held on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Taking the Metro to the concert site is strongly advised due to traffic volume and street closures put in place for the event.
The nearest stations are Federal Center SW (Orange/Blue lines) and Union Station (Red line).

Public access opens at 3:00 p.m.
The public will not be admitted to the West Lawn of the Capitol before that time.
Checkpoints will be set up, and all bags and parcels will be checked.
Guests will be required to enter through a metal detector.
The gates are located at the southwest corner of the Capitol grounds.
There are viewing areas for the use of guests with disabilities.

Dress rehearsal on July 2nd is also open to the public.

When available, details can be found on the U.S. Capitol Police’s website in the Media Center.
Keep checking until you see the information has been posted.

The concert is free and open to the public.
No tickets are necessary.

A list of prohibited items can be found on the U.S. Capitol Police’s website in the Media Center.

Dress rehearsal on July 2nd is open to the public. Public access opens at 3:00 p.m.
The public will not be admitted to the West Lawn of the Capitol before that time.
Checkpoints will be set up, and all bags and parcels will be checked.
Guests will be required to enter through a metal detector.
The gates are located at the southwest corner of the Capitol grounds.
There are viewing areas for the use of guests with disabilities. When available, details can be found on the U.S. Capitol Police’s website in the Media Center.
Keep checking until you see the information has been posted.

There are two designated viewing areas for guests with disabilities which include a monitor with closed captioning for the hearing impaired. After you arrive at the grounds of the Capitol, let a park ranger or an event staff member in a yellow shirt know you need access to this area and they will be able to direct you.

The concert broadcast begins at 8:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. CT and is finished at 9:30 p.m. ET.

You’re in luck! The vast majority of public television stations replay A Capitol Fourth immediately after the show concludes. In most areas, this is from 9:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET, but CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS to be sure.
Some stations also replay the show within a few days.
Video on Demand of the show is available for two weeks following the live broadcast.

Our 2026 host and performers will be listed in the performers section of this website.

Unfortunately, copyright restrictions do not permit us to issue video or audio copies of the program. However, we hope you are able to watch the broadcast, and we encourage you to tell others about it.