Fewer Fireworks and Possible Drones in Store for Big Bay Boom

Changes are coming to the west coast’s largest fireworks show in the wake of new environmental requirements from the state.

San Diego’s Big Bay Boom will reduce its cumulative total of fireworks pounds by 15 percent in 2025, with an additional 5 percent reduction the following year, as a part of its permit agreement with the California Coastal Commission.

Meanwhile, drones will be considered as an option for future Fourth of July fireworks shows.

The Port of San Diego, which is organizing this year’s event, will study the potential of a drone-only show, or a combination of drones and traditional fireworks, starting in 2027.

This does not mean that the 2025 experience will be less grand: The reduction only applies to the City of San Diego’s show. Other cities in the port district, including Coronado, host their own fireworks displays.

This is the first year that the port is serving as event organizer: Usually, the Big Bay Boom is hosted by the Armed Forces YMCA, but the nonprofit organization had to pull out after it could not secure the requisite insurance. The port stepped in to avoid canceling the iconic event.

And it’s not simply a beloved part of summer in San Diego: the annual show bolsters the local economy.

“The most recent economic impact analysis estimated in that in 2024, the Big Bay Boom attracted an estimated 400,000 visitors to the waterfront, which generated an economic impact of $100 million,” said Larry Hofreiter, director of parks and recreation for the port, at an April 15 meeting of the Board of Port Commissioners.

This is also the first year that the Coastal Commission has required the Big Bay Boom to obtain a coastal development permit, which prompted the environmental requirements. The port also agreed to conduct sound and water quality monitoring before and after the 2025 event.

“Statewide, (fireworks are) a very big concern for the Coastal Commission,” said Lesley Nishihira, the port’s assistant vice president of planning. “Other shows, in fact, are being postponed or didn’t even proceed. We were able to negotiate these additional factors and commitment to analyze the potential use of drones in the future.”

Nishihira said the port will implement a “very thorough” study.

“There are environmental impacts associated with drones; they aren’t the perfect solution,” she said. “We want to make sure that we thoroughly analyze what the trade-offs are and if (they) also achieve the same impact and meaning to the region. How many drones would it take to achieve the scale that you get when you look up in the sky and witness a fireworks show?”

Coronado’s representative on the board, Frank Urtasun, had concerns.

“The regulatory restrictions that we’re up against here are serious, and they could very well take fireworks out of play,” Urtasun said.

Commissioner Dan Malcolm echoed this sentiment, reminiscing on Imperial Beach’s 2022 swap of fireworks for drones.

“It was cool,” said Malcolm. “It certainly is not fireworks. It does not have anywhere near that same visceral effect that fireworks do. I am, like Commissioner Urtasun, worried that fireworks could become a thing of the past.”

However, not all of the commissioners were as reticent.

Commissioner Ann Moore, Chula Vista’s appointee, suggested accelerating the study in time for the 2026 Big Bay Boom, and asked staff to look into whether Chula Vista could host future shows. Commissioner Michael Zucchet agreed, noting that the 2026 show will mark the nation’s 250th anniversary.

“How cool would it be if we’re able to expand to our whole bay front?” he asked. However, he noted that some constituents might have privacy concerns about a drone show, and asked that staff include that factor in its study.

At the meeting, the commission voted unanimously to grant indemnity to vendors for this year’s Big Bay Boom. The port will continue to work with vendors the AFYMCA previously used, and the nonprofit will continue to raise money for the event.