{"id":914894,"date":"2026-07-05T21:00:25","date_gmt":"2026-07-05T21:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/914894\/"},"modified":"2026-07-05T21:00:25","modified_gmt":"2026-07-05T21:00:25","slug":"freedom-fest-celebrates-its-fourth-fourth-of-july-at-belmont-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/914894\/","title":{"rendered":"Freedom Fest celebrates its fourth Fourth of July at Belmont Park"},"content":{"rendered":"

Freedom Fest returned Saturday to Belmont Park for its fourth Independence Day celebration at the beachfront venue, with a 70-foot inflatable Statue of Liberty serving as the centerpiece.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Patriotic San Diegans poured out in the thousands for the festival\u2019s sand-shaking electronic music. From humble origins in a La Jolla office, festival hosts Almost Nakey<\/a> moved to Mission Beach for bigger stages and bigger stars \u2014 with hip-hop star Nelly headlining last year\u2019s beach bash.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just continued to grow,\u201d founder Liv Johnson told<\/a> Times of San Diego prior to the event. \u201cWe\u2019ve developed massive inflatables, we\u2019ve built bigger stages, we\u2019ve got more exciting talent.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Inflatable<\/a>A 70-foot inflatable Statue of Liberty watched over the fun at Freedom Fest at Belmont Park on July 4, 2026. (Photo by Thomas Murphy\/Times of San Diego)<\/p>\n

DJ Austin Millz<\/a> served as this year\u2019s headliner, making the shoreline of San Diego the finish line to his 24-hour, cross-country tour that began in New York with a pit stop in Texas. He showed little sign of fatigue as he energized the crowd.<\/p>\n

Supporting Millz was a lineup that blended national acts with rising regional talent, showcasing a mix of house, electronic and dance music throughout the night. Hip-hop artist MIMS, best known for the 2007 hit \u201cThis Is Why I\u2019m Hot,\u201d was joined by DJ duo Girl Math<\/a>, singer-songwriter and producer Jenny Voss<\/a>, and DJs Edris Omar<\/a>, Luke Andy<\/a>, Sprout<\/a> and Burko<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Attendees dressed head-to-toe in red, white and blue turned their attention to a giant LED American flag flashing on the main stage. The crowd grew as Girl Math intensified the music, moving to the beat as people spilled onto the main walkway.<\/p>\n

Inflatable beach balls filled the air, launching straight up and crash landing on top of flag-covered cowboy hats. Some similarly inflated dice also appeared, prompting some to see who could roll the highest number \u2014 and send it highest into the air.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>Inflatable beach balls filled the air throughout Freedom Fest at Belmont Park on July 4, 2026. (Photo by Thomas Murphy\/Times of San Diego)<\/p>\n

Voss sang the national anthem after the sun slipped below the horizon. A group of backup dancers dressed as hot dogs joined Voss on stage, dancing along to her rendition of \u201cParty in the U.S.A.\u201d by Miley Cyrus as the audience threw their hands in the air.MIMS took the main stage next telling the DJ, \u201cgive me something to freestyle to\u201d before launching into a 10-minute freestyle rap.<\/p>\n

Beneath a towering tiki-fied inflatable Statue of Liberty, festivalgoers waved tassels, posed for photos and carried on dancing as fireworks lit up Mission Bay.<\/p>\n

The festival has come a long way since its debut in 2020, when roughly 2,000 people unexpectedly filled an office building near La Jolla Cove. That turnout convinced Johnson and her team to make the event an annual tradition. <\/p>\n

Six years later, the event bills itself as San Diego\u2019s only oceanfront Fourth of July music festival. Tassels waved as red, white and blue smoke filled the dance floor, the party continuing long into the night.<\/p>\n