Beyonce, Paisley to sing on July 4 special

NEW YORK, June 15 (UPI) -- Beyonce and Brad Paisley have been booked to perform during Macy's Fourth of July fireworks show in New York, NBC announced Wednesday.

Presiding over the event will be Nick Lachey, host of the network's competition series "The Sing-Off."

Billed as the nation's largest Independence Day fireworks display, the Macy's show will once again take place over the Hudson River. More than 40,000 firework shells are expected to light up the sky for America's 235th birthday party, NBC said in a news release.

"Gift of Freedom" will be the theme of this year's pyrotechnics and it will pay special tribute to the 125th anniversary year of the Statue of Liberty.