Biden's inauguration day will be unlike any other in history. Here's what to expect.
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- President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will be sworn into office in front of the US Capitol around 12 p.m. on January 20.
- Celebrities Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez will perform at the ceremony.
- Biden and Harris will then speak to the nation via a TV special at 8:30 p.m. that will also feature performances by Justin Timberlake, John Legend, Bruce Springsteen, and other A-listers.
- The inauguration is part of a five-day program with multiple virtual and socially-distanced in-person celebrations.
- The festivities will be carried live on cable TV channels as well as streamed on social media platforms.
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President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will take the oath of office in front of the US Capitol around 12 p.m. on Wednesday, joined by a slew of politicians, celebrities, and speakers.
The 59th inauguration will feature Biden's first presidential address to the nation, as he starts his term aiming to unite an increasingly divided country all while the coronavirus pandemic rages on.
The ceremony will begin with remarks from Father Leo J. O'Donovan, a longtime friend of the Biden family and former president of Georgetown University, and wrap up with a benediction from Reverend Dr. Silvester Beaman, also a close confidante of the Bidens.
Singers Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez are expected to perform. Former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton will be in attendance, along with the former first ladies Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, and Hillary Clinton.
Due to COVID-19, major political events, like last year's national conventions, have been reimagined as a mix of virtual and in-person activities. Inauguration Day in 2021 will be no different. The festivities typically attract hundreds of thousands of people who flock to Washington, DC, to witness the historic transition of power. This year only about 2,000 attendees will be permitted. Biden's inaugural committee has installed around 200,000 American flags across the National Mall to "represent the American people who are unable to travel" to the city. The traditional parade will also be shifted online.
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In another break with tradition, President Donald Trump has said he won't be at the inauguration. Trump is the first outgoing president since 1869 to refuse to attend his successor's swearing-in.
Later tomorrow evening, Biden and Harris will address the nation in a televised special titled "Celebrating America," which will begin at 8:30 p.m. ET. The 90-minute primetime program will be hosted by actor Tom Hanks and feature performances by Justin Timberlake, Jon Bon Jovi, Demi Lovato, Ant Clemons, Foo Fighters, John Legend, and Bruce Springsteen.
It will air live on cable TV - channels include ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, and MSNBC - and be available to stream on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Twitch. Amazon Prime Video, Microsoft Bing, NewsNOW from Fox, and AT&T DIRECTV and U-verse will also carry live coverage of the program.
The inauguration is part of a five-day program that comprises both online and socially-distanced in-person events under the theme of "America United."
"This inauguration presents a unique opportunity to spotlight the resilience and spirit of an America United," Presidential Inaugural Committee CEO Tony Allen said in a statement.
Other inaugural activities that took place earlier in the week include a "We the People" virtual concert on January 17, a "national day of service" on Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 18, and a "COVID-19 memorial to lives lost" on January 19.
Federal and city officials have said that they are tightening security measures in the nation's capital amid possible threats of violence following the deadly Capitol riots. Biden's transition team has said that they are receiving daily briefings on security and logistics ahead of the inauguration to help ensure a smooth and safe transfer of power.
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