After more than half a century the Colorado Springs Philharmonic has new digs for its annual Fourth of July concert.

“Star-Spangled Symphony,” followed by a fireworks show in partnership with Colorado Springs Sports Corp, will now take place at Ford Amphitheater, the new outdoor venue on the city’s north side, with capacity for almost 10,000. Tickets are required and cost $5, all-inclusive, and go on sale at 10 a.m. Thursday. Go online to axs.com or fordamphitheater.live.

“We’re excited to make this our new home,” said Philharmonic president and CEO Nathan Newbrough. “The big thing is public safety. It’s important and they can do it in spades and it’s going to be comfortable for people.”

Gates open at 5:30 p.m. Musicians from School of Rock, which provides music classes and performance opportunities to students, will open the concert, before the Philharmonic takes the stage for an eclectic mix of tunes, including rock ‘n’ roll, pop, hip-hop, film scores, Broadway hits and classical music, including the show ending “1812 Overture” by Tchaikovsky. Harrison High School bands also will perform, and some of the musicians will join the Philharmonic on stage.

“Music has the power to connect us,” Newbrough said. “It’s an emotional bond and it’s about the entire community coming together for the Fourth to celebrate this great nation.”

After the show fireworks will launch from the west side of the venue, behind the stage and against the backdrop of Pikes Peak and the Rocky Mountains. Colorado Springs Sports Corp. also will continue its nine fireworks displays around the region, as it has since 2020.

Food and beverage, along with free and paid parking will be available. A free shuttle also will transport concertgoers from Compassion International, 12290 Voyager Parkway. No outside food or beverages are allowed in the venue.

The Philharmonic’s free “Symphony in the Park” began in Memorial Park in 1973, with a large show-ending fireworks display. Though it was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, “Symphony on Your Porch” popped up in its place, with the Philharmonic’s patriotic concert broadcast on several radio stations and Colorado Springs Sports Corp doing fireworks displays in multiple locations across the Pikes Peak region. In 2022 the free “Star-Spangled Symphony” moved indoors to Pikes Peak Center.

“We’re going to have a lot of fun,” said Ford’s founder JW Roth, who’s also founder and CEO of Colorado Springs entertainment and hospitality company VENU. “We’ll shoot the most spectacular fireworks show Colorado Springs has ever seen. I’m doing it for the kids in the neighborhood. The Philharmonic is a staple in our community and for them to come out here, we can’t thank them enough. Every year we’ll try to outdo ourselves.”