Inside The Audio of the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular

Boston, MA (July 8, 2026)—Celebrating America’s 250^th anniversary, the 2026 Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular concert was one to remember—but for a while, it looked like the show might not even happen.

Held along the Charles River Esplanade and broadcast live on CNN, the annual concert regularly attracts 500,000 spectators; this year’s edition, hosted by actress Jane Lynch, featured guests like Lainey Wilson, Chance The Rapper, Trombone Shorty and Megan Hilty, as well as breathtaking fireworks and even a revolutionary-themed drone show.

Still, in years to come, many in attendance will also remember the day because they had to evacuate just 30 minutes before the 7 PM showtime. While the crowds had to find shelter due to fierce lightning storms, the heavy rains passed quickly and the Esplanade was reopened by 7:15 PM.

Communication between crews during a high-profile event is always crucial, but an unexpected evacuation just minutes before showtime highlighted how important the show’s RF and comms were. Overseeing those aspects was Jeff Briggette, a 26-year veteran of the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular and founder of New England-based production wireless and intercom specialists Briggette Audio Services.

“When I started doing the show, we probably had 16 wireless mics,” Briggette recalled a few days later, “but the other day, we had 74 RF microphones—all Shure Axient ADX1 and ADX2.” Also on-hand were 40 Shure TH53 TwinPlex headset mics, along with 20 Shure Axient Digital PSM IEM systems used for talent and host IFBs.

The production’s comm needs were just as complex, making use of 40 Clear-Com FreeSpeak wireless intercom units—a mix of FreeSpeak 2 and FreeSpeak Icon belt packs with fiber switches and IPT transceivers—all overseen by Briggette, Chris Allen and John Tracey.

To properly address the production’s RF and Comm needs, Briggette and his team arrived on site eight days in advance, taking two days to build the system, run 330 feet of fiber for intercom antennas and wireless mics, and more.

“Boston’s not one of the easier cities in the country to navigate RF-wise,” he noted. “There’s a lot of TV stations [and] it’s not an easy environment. You’re always on your toes and have spare frequencies ready to go, and that’s why we use the ADX transmitters—so that we can change frequencies in a hurry if needed.”

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Briggette and his team also handled RF duties for the delay P.A. towers, as Rick Collins and Ava Collins oversaw Shure PSM and BAS custom receiver stations that sent audio wirelessly across a 2,500-square-foot area to a half-dozen delay setups.

That P.A. was provided by Scorpio Sound Systems, which fielded a d&b audiotechnik system based around KSL8 hangs and flown V-SUBs at the stage; a mix of V10P and XSL boxes to cover VIPs and infills; and a variety of V Series, T Series and KSL arrays used for the delay towers.

At the FOH position, three DiGiCo desks were used for mixing—two Quantum 338s for the Pops and guests, mixed by Kevin Delaney and Andy Vickery respectively, and a Quantum 112 for production. Meanwhile, at stageside, a pair of Quantum 225 desks were used to mix monitors for the Pops and guests (the latter mixed by Carl Pillitteri), and an SD12, overseen by Mark MacArthur, was used as a broadcast truck submixer for chorus and close string mics.

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After 26 years, Briggette still enjoys tackling the annual event, finding solutions to the RF issues that come up every year. Looking back at more than a quarter century of July 4th Spectaculars, he noted that the RF technologies used have improved but the show’s wireless needs are as demanding as ever. “It’s always been a challenge,” he grinned. “It’s just the challenges have changed.”