The Western & Southern / WEBN Fireworks is Cincinnati’s Labor Day weekend tradition, held along the Ohio River at Sawyer Point and Yeatman’s Cove. The 2026 edition marked the event’s 50th anniversary, presented by Western & Southern Financial Group and iHeartMedia’s 102.7 WEBN, with fireworks by Rozzi’s Famous Fireworks.
This isn’t a film or series — it’s a live pyrotechnic show set to music. From here on, this article focuses entirely on that music: who makes it, what’s confirmed for 2026, and how to hear it.
WEBN Fireworks Soundtrack (2026) Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Event Name | Western & Southern / WEBN Fireworks |
| Edition | 50th Anniversary |
| Location | Sawyer Point & Yeatman’s Cove, Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Date | September 6, 2026 |
| Presented By | Western & Southern Financial Group, 102.7 WEBN (iHeartMedia) |
| Fireworks Producer | Rozzi’s Famous Fireworks |
| Soundtrack Producer | Miles Hlivko (iHeartMedia) |
| Broadcast Partners | Local 12 (WKRC-TV), Star 64 |
| Runtime | 50 minutes (drone segment + fireworks) |
| Official Album Release | None confirmed — broadcast/live event only |
WEBN Fireworks Soundtrack Overview
The WEBN Fireworks soundtrack isn’t a licensed film score or a retail album. It’s a live-synced music mix, built by one producer, that plays under the fireworks and drone display.
The tradition began in the late 1970s with manually cued rock songs. Today it’s computer-synced down to the second.
For the 50th anniversary, Miles Hlivko expanded his usual 30-minute mix to a 50-minute “best-of” set. It draws from decades of past WEBN fireworks soundtracks rather than new material.
Who Produces the WEBN Fireworks Soundtrack?
Miles Hlivko is the longtime music producer behind the show, working through iHeartMedia. He has produced the soundtrack for over a decade, crafting it from Los Angeles even though the show itself is a Cincinnati institution.
Hlivko is also Imaging Director at KIIS FM in Los Angeles and iHeartMedia’s National Alternative Imaging Coordinator. Earlier in his career, he was Assistant Program Director at WMMS in Cleveland.
His process involves compiling roughly three times more candidate tracks than he’ll ultimately use, then narrowing them down based on pacing, energy, and how well songs flow into one another.
For the 50th anniversary, Hlivko described the assignment as personal: rather than sourcing new songs, he revisited every track ever used in a WEBN fireworks soundtrack and selected the strongest moments.
WEBN Fireworks Soundtrack (2026) Official Tracklist
Confirmed: No complete, numbered tracklist for the 2026 show has been publicly released as of this writing. Organizers have confirmed select highlights rather than a full running order.
What’s confirmed:
- A mashup pairing Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” with its sampled source, Stevie Wonder’s “Pastime Paradise”
- A transition blending Muse into Beastie Boys
- A Metallica track closing out the finale
Pending/unconfirmed: The full 50-minute running order, song count, and sequence beyond these highlights had not been published at the time of writing.
Score Highlights
“Gangsta’s Paradise” / “Pastime Paradise” mashup — Hlivko paired Coolio’s hit directly with the Stevie Wonder song it samples, calling it an “obvious choice” once he heard them together.
Muse into Beastie Boys — Described by Hlivko as one of the mix’s less predictable transitions, blending two very different sounds into a single passage.
Metallica finale — The anniversary show closes on Metallica, chosen specifically to match the scale of the 50th-anniversary milestone.
WEBN Fireworks Licensed Songs / Needle Drops
| Song | Artist | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Gangsta’s Paradise | Coolio | Mashed up with its sample source below |
| Pastime Paradise | Stevie Wonder | Sampled within the Coolio mashup |
| Unspecified track | Muse | Transitions into the Beastie Boys below |
| Unspecified track | Beastie Boys | Follows the Muse transition |
| Unspecified track | Metallica | Show finale |
Additional songs from the full 50-minute mix remain pending/unconfirmed as of this writing.
Past WEBN Fireworks Soundtrack Themes
| Year | Theme | Notable Confirmed Songs |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 50th Anniversary “best-of” retrospective | Metallica (finale), Coolio/Stevie Wonder mashup, Muse into Beastie Boys |
| 2025 | “Boomsday the Musical” (Broadway-inspired) | The Who’s “Pinball Wizard,” New Found Glory’s cover of “Let It Go” |
| 2023 | Casino/Las Vegas theme | Casino-movie soundtrack cues; 27 songs across a 30-minute mix |
| 2017 | Film soundtrack theme | Songs and clips drawn from movie soundtracks |
Where to Listen to the WEBN Fireworks Soundtrack (2026)?
The soundtrack is best experienced as a live simulcast: tune into 102.7 WEBN on FM radio or the iHeartRadio app while watching, or catch the full televised broadcast on Local 12 (WKRC-TV) and Star 64, both of which also stream online and on YouTube. As of this writing, no standalone Spotify or Apple Music release of the mix has been confirmed.
FAQs
Who produces the WEBN Fireworks soundtrack?
Miles Hlivko, a producer with iHeartMedia, has produced the show’s music for over a decade.
Is the WEBN Fireworks soundtrack a movie score?
No. It’s a live-mixed compilation of existing commercial songs, not an original film or TV score.
How long is the 2026 WEBN Fireworks soundtrack?
50 minutes, expanded from the producer’s usual 30-minute mix for the show’s 50th anniversary.
What songs are confirmed for the 2026 show?
A Coolio/Stevie Wonder mashup, a Muse-into-Beastie Boys transition, and a Metallica finale are confirmed. The full running order is not yet public.
Where can I hear the WEBN Fireworks soundtrack?
Live on 102.7 WEBN or the iHeartRadio app, or via the televised broadcast on Local 12 and Star 64.
Is there an official WEBN Fireworks soundtrack album?
No official retail or streaming album has been confirmed as of this writing.
When and where is the 2026 WEBN Fireworks show?
September 6, 2026, at Sawyer Point and Yeatman’s Cove in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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