France will organize a spectacular light show at the Statue of Liberty in New York to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States. The French Consulate announced the plan on Monday, saying the performance will be pre-recorded and broadcast at the start of ABC Network’s 25-hour special program on July 4, the US Independence Day. The event aims to present the monument in a way never seen before, highlighting its symbolic and emotional significance.

French Consul in New York, Cedric Foussigno, told AFP that the two nations share a 250-year friendship that remains strong and deep, motivating France to do something special for the occasion. France originally gifted the Statue of Liberty to the United States in 1886, and it has since become one of the country’s most iconic landmarks.

As part of the anniversary celebrations, France also sent its air force aerobatics team to the US earlier in June. On June 9, eight Alpha Jets from the Patrouille de France flew over Manhattan, painting the sky in the colors of the French flag and passing above the Statue of Liberty.