Mary J. Blige, Brad Paisley, NE-YO to perform in Times Square for Fourth of July countdown
Actor Jim Gaffigan will serve as the show's host on July 3 in Times Square.
Singers Mary J. Blige, Brad Paisley and NE-YO will headline a celebration in Times Square on Friday to count down to the Fourth of July and America's 250th anniversary.
The music stars will perform at the Giving 4th Broadcast Benefit Show hosted by Jim Gaffigan on July 3, America250, the nonpartisan organization charged by Congress to lead the celebration of America's 250th year, announced Wednesday.
The show is scheduled to take place at One Times Square in New York City and will stream live at America250.org starting at 9 p.m. on July 3, according to the organization.
The celebration in Times Square will also include a ball drop at 12 a.m. ET to ring in July Fourth.
For the first time, the ball will drop in Times Square eight times to mark midnight in every American time zone, according to America250.org.
The ball used for the ball drop will be a new "Constellation Ball" that is 12.5 feet in diameter, features handcrafted Waterford crystals and LED lights, and weighs 12,350 pounds, according to One Times Square, which designed the new ball.
The Times Square celebration is one of several celebrations happening across the country this weekend as the United States marks its 250th anniversary.
On the night of July 4, ABC will host the "Star-Spangled Bash" in Nashville, featuring performances from artists including Reba McEntire, Nick Jonas, Boyz II Men, Tim McGraw, Brothers Osborne and Lauren Daigle.
The special, hosted by Ryan Seacrest, will air at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, Disney+, the ESPN App, Freeform, FX, Hulu and NatGeo.
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