Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 47th US President, marking a remarkable return to the White House after previously holding the office as the 45th president.
The ceremony will be held at the US Capitol building in Washington, DC on Monday, January 20 with both supporters and protesters expected to gather in large numbers.
The occasion signifies the transfer of power from Joe Biden to Trump, as he embarks on a non-consecutive second term. Trump is due to take the oath of office around 5pm UK time, preceded by JD Vance, the Vice President-elect.
Musical performances are a staple of the event, with stars including Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and John Legend having taken part in past shows for previous presidents. During his first inauguration in 2017, Trump seemed to struggle to get famous faces to attend, though. So, who might brave the elements and turn up this time around?
This year’s line-up sees majority country acts showing up for the GOP leader.
Carrie Underwood is arguably the biggest name on the bill. The eight-time Grammy winner will sing America The Beautiful with the Armed Forces Choir and the US Naval Academy Glee Club before Trump takes the oath of office.
In a statement, the American Idol star said: “I love our country and am honoured to have been asked to sing at the inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event”.
Kid Rock, best known for 2007 hit All Summer Long, is confirmed. The singer has been a vocal Republican and Trump supporter for years. He previously sang ahead of Trump’s speech at the 2024 Republican National Convention in July.
Rock will join country singer Billy Ray Cyrus at the Make America Great Again Rally at Capital One Arena in Washington on Sunday, along with a choir from Liberty University, a private evangelical Christian school in Virginia.
The 63-year-old father of pop star Miley Cyrus – a vocal critic of Trump – is most famous for playing his daughter’s on-screen father in Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana, and for his 1990s country hit Achy Breaky Heart.
Country singer Jason Aldean, singer and saxophonist Lee Greenwood and The Village People will perform at The Liberty Ball on Monday night, along with a “surprise musical guest”.
Aldean, a five-time Grammy nominee, is behind country song Try That In A Small Town which has been accused of being “pro-lynching”. The singer dedicated the song to Trump following the attempt on his life in July.
Greenwood sang God Bless The USA at the inauguration eight years ago and was a staple at Trump campaign rallies last year. He has said he’s “excited” to sing for his “friend” Mr Trump “yet again”.
Victor Willis, frontman of the Village People, admitted on Facebook that “some fans won’t be happy to hear” that the band are performing at the inauguration, but insisted “Y.M.C.A. is a global anthem that hopefully helps bring the country together after a tumultuous and divided campaign where our preferred candidate lost”.
Country group Rascal Flatts will be at the Commander-in-Chief Ball, focused on military service members, with Texas-based singer-songwriter Parker McCollum.
Rascal Flatts frontman Gary LeVox wrote on Instagram that he was “happy and humbled and grateful for the opportunity”. LeVox played at Mr Trump’s first inauguration and assured it will be a “night to remember”.
Meanwhile, Gavin DeGraw, a singer-songwriter best known for the song I Don’t Want To Be, which was used as the theme song for hit TV show One Tree Hill, will perform at The Starlight Ball, which focuses on high-worth donors.
Classical singer Christopher Macchio will sing Oh, America! before the vice-presidential oath of office with JD Vance, and will close the ceremony with a rendition of the American National Anthem.
In terms of political figures, outgoing President Joe Biden will attend his successor’s inauguration, as per tradition, despite Trump not showing up to his 2020 swearing in after claiming the election was “stolen” from him.
Barack Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton are all likely to attend, as is custom, too. Former first lady, Michelle Obama, however, will not be attending.
Interestingly, for the first time ever, world leaders have been invited. Elon Musk will reportedly be seated alongside fellow billionaires Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage will also make an appearance.
The inauguration will air in the UK on BBC One and iPlayer starting at 3.30pm. Sky News, ITV, and Channel 4 will also provide live coverage.
Don’t miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond – Sign up to our newsletterhere.