Trump Inaugural Events Kick Off Today: What to Know

Four days of celebrations surrounding President-elect Donald Trump’s second inauguration start on Jan. 18. They begin with a reception and fireworks at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, on Saturday and end with the National Prayer Service on Tuesday.

Both Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance will be sworn in at 12 p.m. ET on Monday, with three former presidents—Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton—expected to attend.

Aside from fireworks, the four days of festivities will include multiple dinners honoring Trump, Vance, and the president-elect’s Cabinet nominees, a political rally, the inaugural parade, and three inaugural balls.

Here’s what to know about the days surrounding Trump’s inauguration.

Four-Day Schedule

After the fireworks display at Trump’s club in Virginia, there will be a reception for Cabinet nominees and a dinner hosted by Vance on Saturday evening.

On Sunday, Trump will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. Later, the “Make America Great Again” victory rally will be held at DC’s Capitol One Arena, home of the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards. and the president-elect will host a candlelight dinner to close out the day’s events.

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Inauguration Day begins with a service at St. John’s Church in Lafayette Square, followed by the Trumps joining the Bidens for tea at the White House.

Trump will take the oath of office inside the U.S. Capitol Rotunda at noon before saying goodbye to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Trump will then hold a signing ceremony near the Senate chamber to sign formal nominations for his Cabinet selections.

The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies will host a lunch before the inaugural parade. The parade will also be moved inside to Washington’s Capitol One Arena and Trump will make an appearance at the venue.

Trump will then travel to the White House, where he will likely host a ceremony to issue a batch of executive actions. Afterward, Trump will attend and address the three inaugural balls—the Liberty Inaugural Ball, the Commander-in-Chief’s Ball, and the Starlight Ball.

The inauguration celebrations conclude with the National Prayer Service on Tuesday.

Who Is Attending, Who Isn’t

In addition to Obama, Bush, and Clinton, Biden has confirmed his attendance. Harris is also expected to appear at the inauguration ceremony.

Argentinian President Javier Milei is expected to attend, and Trump has invited Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Xi Jinping, leader of the Chinese regime. While it is unclear if Bukele will attend, Meloni said she would if scheduling permits, and Xi will be sending an official envoy.

Several billionaires will also attend Trump’s swearing-in ceremony. Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos will be seated together on the platform next to Trump’s cabinet. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is reportedly attending the inauguration.

Later that evening, Zuckerberg is co-hosting a black-tie reception with billionaire Trump allies Tilman Fertitta, Miriam Adelson, and Chicago Cubs co-owner Todd Ricketts. Fertitta is the owner of the Houston Rockets and Trump’s pick for U.S. Ambassador to Italy, while Adelson is the widow of GOP megadonor Sheldon Adelson.

Musical Performances

Trump’s transition team released a lineup on Wednesday of performers who will take part in the inauguration celebrations.

Carrie Underwood—American Idol alumna and eight-time Grammy Award winner—will perform “America the Beautiful” before Trump is sworn in on Monday.

Christopher Macchio, a member of the classical crossover group New York Tenors, will sing the National Anthem.

It is unclear if there are any changes to the performances now that Trump’s swearing in will be indoors.

Country music singer-songwriter Lee Greenwood, whose “God Bless the U.S.A.” became a staple at Trump’s campaign rallies, will close out the official events on Monday night.

On Sunday, the disco group Village People will perform at the “Make America Great Again” victory rally at DC’s Capitol One Arena. Trump used their hit song “YMCA” to close many of his rallies last year. The group will share the stage with country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, rap-rock musician Kid Rock, the Liberty University Praise Choir, and Greenwood.

The three inaugural balls on Monday will also feature musical performances. Jason Aldean, writer of the hit song “Try That in a Small Town,” the Village People, and a surprise mystery guest will perform at the Liberty Ball.

The military-focused Commander-in-Chief Ball will host the popular country band Rascal Flatts and singer-songwriter Parker McCollum.

Country singer Gavin DeGraw will perform at the evening’s final event—the Starlight Ball.

How to Watch the Inauguration

NTD, The Epoch Times’ sister media, will broadcast the inauguration. The White House will stream the events on its website, and several major networks will cover the celebrations.

Jackson Richman, Stacy Robinson, Tom Ozimek, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.