Lady Gaga and J. Lo Will Perform at Joe Biden's Presidential Inauguration

From Oprah Magazine

• President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will be sworn in at the 59th presidential inauguration ceremony on January 20.

• J. Lo and Lady Gaga are expected to perform at the ceremony.

• Unlike past years, the 2021 inauguration ceremony will be closed to the public—but you can still watch or stream the event.

On January 20, 2021, the world will watch Joe Biden become the 46th president of the United States, and Kamala Harris the Vice President (and the first woman, first Black person, and first person of South Asian descent to hold that office).

The website of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC), which has planned the event in the U.S. Capitol since 1901, is literally ticking down the minutes until the inauguration ceremony. Work on the platform began all the way back in October of 2020, AP News reported.

Normally, thousands of people attend the inauguration on the Washington Mall (in fact, crowd size has been an object of fixation in recent years). This year, however, tickets are not available to the public due to public health concerns. And, as a response to unprecedented riots at the Capitol, it was announced that the entire Mall will be closed on inauguration day. Only authorized individuals will be allowed to attend the ceremony, according to NBC.

The inauguration's theme will be “America United." During the ceremony, which President Trump has stated he will not attend, President-elect Joe Biden will partake in activities alongside former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton to show unity across parties, per NBC.

This is what you need to know about the inauguration, including how to watch and whose performing.

As always, the inauguration will take place on January 20.

According to History.com, the Constitution's 20th Amendment set the inauguration date in stone: It always takes place on January 20 of the year following the election. In 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first president sworn in on January 20; all the presidents since have followed suit.

On January 20, 2021, it will be President-elect Biden's turn to be sworn in to the highest office in the U.S. During the inauguration ceremony, Biden will take an oath of office and deliver an inaugural address before an in-person crowd and TV audiences.

We're not sure when the ceremony will start.

Not many concrete details about Biden's televised inauguration have been announced, including a start time. Given that the past three swearing-in ceremonies began at 11:30 am E.T., another 11:30 am start time looks likely. Biden's official term will begin at noon ET on January 20.

You'll be able to watch and stream the inauguration.

The official roll-out plan for the inauguration hasn't been announced. However, given precedent of years past, Biden's inauguration will be streamed on every news channel, including ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Univision and Telemundo, and will be live-streamed online by the Biden campaign.

There will be a "virtual parade" during the broadcast.

This inauguration ceremony will certainly look different than prior years. One example? We'll see a televised virtual parade featuring performances from people across the U.S. "The parade will celebrate America's heroes and reflect on the diversity, heritage and resilience of our country," the committee wrote in a tweet.

Jennifer Lopez and Lady Gaga will be performing.

The inauguration day spectacle always includes musical performances, typically from artists of renown. Aretha Franklin sang and Yo-Yo Ma played the cello at President Barack Obama's inauguration ceremony in 2009; James Taylor and Kelly Clarkson performed at his next swearing-in. Beyoncé sang at both inaugurations. In 2017, The Rockettes and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir were among the performers at President Trump's inauguration, per USA Today.

This year, J. Lo and Lady Gaga will headline the inauguration ceremony. Gaga will sing the national anthem and Lopez will give a musical performance of her own. We're hoping J. Lo sings one of our faves.

Tom Hanks will host a primetime special the evening of the inauguration.

The inaugural festivities will continue past Biden's swearing-in ceremony. On January 20, Tom Hanks will host an hour-long special called Celebrating America, per Deadline. Justin Timberlake, Jon Bon Jovi, Ant Clemons, and Demi Lovato will perform at the event honoring Biden and Harris—and of course, the nation's new leaders will speak.

The special will air across ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, and MSNBC and start at 8:30 p.m ET. According to a statement from the Presidential Inaugural Committee, the special will highlight “American heroes who are helping their fellow Americans through this crisis, including frontline workers, health care workers, teachers, citizens giving back, and those who are breaking barriers."

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