{"id":290438,"date":"2026-04-28T22:55:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T22:55:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/290438\/"},"modified":"2026-04-28T22:55:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T22:55:14","slug":"big-bang-on-the-bay-cancelled-amid-fireworks-denial-at-least-for-now-press-telegram","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/290438\/","title":{"rendered":"Big Bang on the Bay cancelled amid fireworks denial \u2014 at least for now \u2013 Press Telegram"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chris Haire Big Bang on the Bay, a beloved over-the-water fireworks display and block party that usually lights up the sky the day before Fourth of July each year, has been cancelled, marking the apparent conclusion of a yearslong battle between the event\u2019s organizer, and environmental advocates and a state commission.<\/p>\n

Last year, the California Coastal Commission, the state regulator charged with protecting coastal resources, approved a five-year permit for Big Bang on the Bay \u2014 and the 2025 show went off without a hitch<\/a>. Thousands gathered in Long Beach and even Seal Beach to engage in the annual tradition.<\/p>\n

But one major caveat came along with the Commission\u2019s approval: After the 2025 event, fireworks would no longer be permitted. Instead, the Coastal Commission said, it would only allow a drone show or other fireworks alternative moving forward, despite concerns from both event organizer, John Morris, and Long Beach city officials about the feasibility of putting on a drone show over Alamitos Bay.<\/p>\n

Morris, the show\u2019s founder and owner of Naples Restaurant Group and Boathouse on the Bay, accepted the terms of that 2025 permit from the Coastal Commission, but decided to submit one last appeal this year, asking for an exemption that would allow him to have a fireworks display during the 2026 Big Bang on the Bay \u2014 celebrating America\u2019s 250th birthday.<\/p>\n

Morris made his play for one final fireworks show by sending a request for an amendment to the previously approved five-year permit, which, would have allowed a fireworks display this year. But that amendment request was denied by the commission\u2019s executive director. Morris then appealed that decision, which brought it back before the commission on April 15 for a final determination.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, the commission voted against Morris\u2019 appeal, siding with the executive director\u2019s original decision to reject the amendment, arguing that to approve Morris\u2019 appeal would effectively undermine the entire intent of the original 2025 permit, which specifically prohibited fireworks after that year\u2019s show.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis has already been voted on, and it was crystal clear to the applicant that that was the final year of fireworks,\u201d Caryl Hart, the commission\u2019s vice chair, said during the meeting. \u201cThere\u2019s absolutely nothing that would have stopped the applicant from fleshing out the drone show proposal. But that just never happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Event<\/p>\n

Event organizer John Morris hosts the Big Bang on the Bay block party and fireworks show on Thursday, July 3, 2025, at Morris\u2019s Boathouse on the Bay restaurant in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Revelers<\/p>\n

Revelers celebrate the 4th of July weekend at the Big Bang on the Bay block party and fireworks show on Thursday, July 3, 2025, at Boathouse on the Bay in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Carl<\/p>\n

Carl Earhart of Long Beach is ready for his all-American meal at the Big Bang on the Bay 4th of July block party on Thursday, July 3, 2025, in the marina. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Paragliders<\/p>\n

Paragliders fly towards people celebrating the 4th of July weekend at the Big Bang on the Bay block party on Thursday, July 3, 2025, in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The Big Bang on the Bay Fourth of July fireworks show lights up the sky over Alamitos Bay on Thursday, July 3, 2025, in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A youngster notices a paraglider fling over the Big Bang on the Bay 4th of July block party on Thursday, July 3, 2025, in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Attendees<\/p>\n

Attendees photograph an American flag being towed high in the sky over the Big Bang on the Bay 4th of July block party on Thursday, July 3, 2025, in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Revelers<\/p>\n

Revelers celebrate the 4th of July weekend at the Big Bang on the Bay block party and fireworks show on Thursday, July 3, 2025, at Boathouse on the Bay in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A young reveler waves an American flag at the Big Bang on the Bay 4th of July block party on Thursday, July 3, 2025, in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Revelers<\/p>\n

Revelers celebrate the long 4th of July weekend at the Big Bang on the Bay block party and fireworks show on Thursday, July 3, 2025, at Boathouse on the Bay in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The Big Bang on the Bay Fourth of July fireworks show lights up the sky over Alamitos Bay on Thursday, July 3, 2025, in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Fireworks<\/p>\n

Fireworks light the sky over Alamitos Bay in Long Beach on Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024, as the Big Bang on the Bay fireworks show caps off the Labor Day weekend celebration. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 12<\/p>\n

Event organizer John Morris hosts the Big Bang on the Bay block party and fireworks show on Thursday, July 3, 2025, at Morris\u2019s Boathouse on the Bay restaurant in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a><\/p>\n

The Coastal Commission, in recent years, has repeatedly argued that Morris could transition from hosting a fireworks show over Alamitos Bay to a drone show instead \u2014 saying the alternative is safer for water quality and wildlife in the area.<\/p>\n

Concerns about Big Bang\u2019s impact on the water and wildlife in Alamitos Bay came to a head in 2021, when nonprofit advocacy group Coastal Environmental Rights Foundation filed a lawsuit against Morris and his restaurant group, arguing that Big Bang on the Bay had violated the Clean Water Act by disseminating pollutants into the water. The group\u2019s intent was to have the event banned.<\/p>\n

A federal judge later ruled against CERF, though the organization was able to prove in at least one instance that Big Bang on the Bay had released fireworks discharge into Alamitos Bay during the 2022 show, violating the CWA. But despite sufficient evidence to prove one CWA violation in that specific instance, the judge said, there wasn\u2019t enough proof to show ongoing pollution \u2014 or that similar pollution was likely to occur again.<\/p>\n

That ruling, hailed by Morris as a win at the time, resulted in a new set of challenges for Big Bang on the Bay, as it set a\u00a0new precedent that over-the-water fireworks shows should be regulated under that law via a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit, which aims to prevent water pollution by regulating the sources that cause it.<\/p>\n

A little more than a month after the court\u2019s ruling, the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board adopted that new permitting process, which required fireworks show organizers to establish and comply with a plan aimed at outlining procedures to avoid water pollution.<\/p>\n

That decision led some fireworks producers in the region to pull out of over-the-water shows and caused some events to be canceled. It also drew the ire of Morris, who, at the time, called the ruling frustrating and unnecessary. Still, Morris applied for and received the five-year NPDES permit.<\/p>\n

The challenges for Big Bang on the Bay, though, continued.<\/p>\n

The 2024 iteration of the July 3 event, for the first time in its history, was cancelled after Big Bang\u2019s organizers failed to obtain a separate California Coastal Commission permit for the show by the deadline.<\/p>\n

That year, Morris turned the permitting process over to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach, which was unfamiliar with the process and filed the application too late. The show, however, was eventually rescheduled for a few months later \u2014 and took place successfully on the eve of Labor Day.<\/p>\n

But Big Bang\u2019s long-term future was still in jeopardy at that time, as Morris and his restaurant group continued fighting for it in court. CERF had filed an appeal on the initial court\u2019s ruling, the verdict of which was released in September 2024.<\/p>\n

The opinion found that because Big Bang on the Bay was able to secure an NPEDS permit from the regional water board, CERF\u2019s argument that the show poses an ongoing threat to the Clean Water Act, or the environmental health of Alamitos Bay, was essentially invalid.<\/p>\n

And then came last year\u2019s decision by Coastal Commission to approve a final fireworks display for Big Bang and subsequently prohibit fireworks at future shows. That seemed as if it would be the end of the yearslong battle.<\/p>\n

Morris, though, said at the time that he would try to make a drone show happen \u2014 and that\u2019s what he\u2019s been working on since last July.<\/p>\n

Morris met with multiple contractors, he said in a Tuesday, April 28, interview, to try to determine where to stage a potential drone show, the cost and various other factors. He also spoke with the Long Beach Fire Department.<\/p>\n

Despite the Coastal Commission\u2019s repeated assertions that a drone show would be fully feasible over Alamitos Bay, the Long Beach Fire Department has been clear since the commission\u2019s 2025 vote that it would not permit a drone show<\/a> in any of the Alamitos Bay locations proposed by the state body.<\/p>\n

An LBFD spokesperson, in a 2025 interview, said the drone staging areas proposed by the commission wouldn\u2019t work for various public safety reasons, including that it would restrict access to crucial fire lanes, would require all ships and boats to vacate the bay during the show \u2014 which would be \u201cnext to impossible\u201d \u2014 and could cause issues surrounding the actual airspace the drones would fly in.<\/p>\n

Anything flying above 100 feet over Alamitos Bay, the LBFD representative said, would fall under Federal Aviation Administration jurisdiction \u2014 presenting an entirely new set of regulatory complications for putting on a drone show.<\/p>\n

Morris said he spoke with a fire inspector again this year, after meeting with three different drone companies, who all said the Alamitos Bay location and the amount of drones needed to put on a show comparable with the fireworks simply wouldn\u2019t work.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe (the fire inspector) basically said it\u2019s not viable,\u201d Morris said.<\/p>\n

Still, the Commission, even at the April 15 meeting, argued that a drone show would be feasible over Alamitos Bay. Coastal Commission spokesperson Josh Smith, in a Monday, April 27, statement, reiterated much the same.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Morris never submitted a plan to the city for a drone show, so we don\u2019t have a substantive determination from city officials referencing the specific FAA regulations affecting the feasibility of a drone show in Alamitos Bay,\u201d Smith said. \u201cThere are various ways that drone shows can be configured, so we can\u2019t make any determination on feasibility until we have that information.\u201d<\/p>\n

But to Morris, who said he had done the legwork needed to figure out how a drone show would work over Alamitos Bay, going through an official channel just to get a rejection would be a waste of time, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey said, \u2018Well, he didn\u2019t submit an application,\u2019\u201d Morris said. \u201cWhy would I do that? I\u2019ve already been told it\u2019s (going to be) no. Why would I spend the money to submit an application I knew was going to be rejected? That would be stupid.\u201d<\/p>\n

And even if a drone show were possible over Alamitos Bay, Morris said, it would be prohibitively expensive compared to the traditional 20-minute fireworks show. While it costs around $50,000 to put on the fireworks, Morris said, a drone show of similar magnitude would cost around $200,000 \u2014 and put a major dent in the amount of money the show is able to donate to charities.<\/p>\n

Since its inception, Big Bang on the Bay has also served as a fundraiser for various local nonprofit groups. The cost of the fireworks show, traditionally, has been paid for with money raised through donations and ticket sales to the Big Bang block party \u2014 and whatever\u2019s left over goes to various charities.<\/p>\n

Big Bang has raised more than $2 million for charities since 2011.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo do a show the equivalent of the fireworks show, which is what everybody would expect, you need a minimum of 1,000 drones,\u201d Morris said. \u201cAnd that would cost (around $150,000 to $200,000); fireworks cost $50,000. That means there\u2019d be no money left for charity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Morris also took issue with the fact that several other over-the-water fireworks shows are permitted to go ahead this year across California.<\/p>\n

This year alone, Smith said, the Coastal Commission has approved over-the-water fireworks shows for the Port of San Diego\u2019s Big Bay Boom and SeaWorld San Diego\u2019s annual fireworks displays \u2014 both of which are in the processing of converting to drone shows. Other shows in Northern California have also been approved this year, Smith said.<\/p>\n

Fireworks displays are also rarely required to obtain a Coastal Development Permit from the Coastal Commission, which can be a costly and time-consuming process. Instead, temporary events with little or no impact on the natural environment or public access to the coast are granted exclusions from the CDP process.<\/p>\n

\u201cTemporary events that don\u2019t harm wildlife or other coastal resources or block public access don\u2019t require permits from the commission,\u201d Smith said. \u201cHowever, if the public provides evidence that any type of temporary event, including fireworks shows, is causing harm, we let the operator know that they need to apply for a permit so that the activities can be revised to minimize impacts.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other fireworks shows in Southern California, including at King Harbor in Redondo Beach and Marina Del Rey \u2014 which are also over-the-water fireworks shows of similar size and duration to Big Bang on the Bay \u2014 are granted that exemption.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe aren\u2019t aware of any such impacts associated with Redondo Beach or Marina Del Rey,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n

Big Bang on the Bay was also granted that exemption from the start of its operation in 2011 all the up until 2023, when Coastal Commission decided there was enough concern around the show\u2019s potential impacts to require Morris to get a CDP for the event.<\/p>\n

Despite Morris\u2019 multiple wins in court, he is still required to go through the CDP process.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not about the science; it\u2019s not about the bird studies, because they have been absolutely 100% clean,\u201d Morris said. \u201cThey\u2019ve (the Coastal Commission) never in 10 years asked a question regarding the reports that are submitted by outside agencies. They\u2019ve never questioned them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Coastal Commission, meanwhile, argues that it has given Morris years to figure out an alternative to fireworks, and that the agency\u2019s intent is not to stop the event from happening entirely, noting that it has continued to permit the Big Bang on the Bay block party.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe realize it takes time to adapt to and implement change. That\u2019s why we\u2019ve worked with Mr. Morris since 2023 on how best to address impacts to public access and nesting birds, including consideration of a drone show,\u201d Smith said. \u201cMr. Morris agreed to and accepted the conditions of this permit at the time it was issued. In total, Mr. Morris has had three years to prepare for a drone show in Alamitos Bay. To be clear, the daylong block party preceding the 20-minute fireworks display at the end remains fully permitted and can continue as planned.\u201d<\/p>\n

The fate of Big Bang on the Bay, though, may not be sealed just yet.<\/p>\n

The show has the support of many local officials, including Third District Councilmember Kristina Duggan, Mayor Rex Richardson, Seventh District Councilmember Roberto Uranga, Rep. Robert Garcia and Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, who all either wrote in public comments or spoke in support of the show during the April 15 meeting.<\/p>\n

Even Gov. Gavin Newsom\u2019s office has become involved with the matter. Shortly after the Coastal Commission\u2019s decision, the governor\u2019s office posted online offering its two cents about the vote.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is NOT a decision the Governor made,\u201d the post said. \u201cOur office is looking into this matter on behalf of the people of Long Beach!\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s unclear what authority Newsom\u2019s office has to change the commission\u2019s decision. A representative from his office declined to share further information about Newsom\u2019s authority in this situation, or additional details about what looking into the matter has uncovered.<\/p>\n

Morris also said that state Sen. Lena Gonzalez\u2019s office has reached out to him to see if they can assist with any kind of solution.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Coastal Commission says, \u2018We\u2019re not stopping your party.\u2019 Oh yeah, you are. The main act is not coming,\u201d Morris said. \u201cI\u2019m holding out, of course, for hope, but I\u2019m not going to get myself excited and get disappointed.\u201d<\/p>\n

But unless something changes, Morris said, he\u2019s closing the book on this long-running community tradition for good.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Chris Haire Big Bang on the Bay, a beloved over-the-water fireworks display and block party that usually lights…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":290439,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[7,91344,131,133,132,137,100],"class_list":["post-290438","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-long-beach","tag-california","tag-fourth-of-july","tag-long-beach","tag-long-beach-headlines","tag-long-beach-news","tag-los-angeles-county","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290438","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=290438"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290438\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/290439"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=290438"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=290438"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=290438"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}