Inside Donald Trump’s unusual inauguration: An indoor oath ceremony, parade at an arena and more

It’s one of the biggest events of 2025. Today (January 20), Donald J Trump will be inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States. At noon (local time), he will take over from Joe Biden, marking a historic return to the White House.

Trump’s Vice President JD Vance will also be sworn in. The ceremony will take place at the US Capitol in Washington DC and is expected to be the costliest in history.

So what can we expect on Inauguration Day ? There will be the oath-taking ceremonies, a speech, inaugural balls and more. However, there is a change in plane. The dangerously cold temperatures in Washington have forced Trump to move the event indoors , a first in 40 years.
Here’s a guide to how the day will unfold.

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A church service and tea at the White House

Inauguration Day will start with Trump attending a service at St. John’s Episcopal Church, also known as “the Church of Presidents”. The church held its first service on October 27, 1816, and was consecrated on December 27, 1816. Since James Madison, every president has attended services here.

There will be tea at the White House, where Donald and Melania Trump will be hosted by Joe and Jill Biden. The Bidens and Trumps along with outgoing Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband Douglas Emhoff and incoming veep JD Vance and his wife Usha Vance will head to US Capitol Hill, the venue of the inauguration ceremony.

The oaths and inaugural speech

President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance wee to take oaths on the steps of the US Capitol building. However, the Arctic Blast has played a party-pooper. Now will be sworn in inside the Capitol Rotunda.

This is the first time in 40 years that US presidential inaugural ceremonies will be moved indoors. The last time an inauguration was moved indoors because of the bitter cold was in 1985 for former Republican President Ronald Reagan’s second swearing-in when the afternoon wind chill fell into the range of minus 23 to minus 29 degrees Celsius. The forecast for Washington on Monday is for a temperature at the time of Trump’s swearing-in around minus 7 C but it is expected to feel even colder with wind chill.

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“I have ordered the Inauguration Address, in addition to prayers and other speeches, to be delivered in the United States Capitol Rotunda, as was used by Ronald Reagan in 1985, also because of very cold weather,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Friday.

Apart from the venue change, the ceremonies will go as planned. The inaugural ceremonies will begin with a musical prelude performed by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Combined Choirs and “The President’s Own” US Marine Band. Timothy Cardinal Dolan, the archbishop of New York, and the Rev Franklin Graham will deliver an invocation. Christopher Macchio, an opera singer will sing “Oh, America!”, reports CBS.

Vance will be sworn in first. The oath repeated by the vice president has been used since 1884. And until 1937, most veeps took the oath in the Senate chamber before the president’s swearing-in.

Vance’s oath will be administered by Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. This will be followed by a performance by country music star Carrie Underwood , who will sing “America is Beautiful”. The singer-songwriter will perform alongside the Armed Forces Chorus and Naval Academy Glee.

The spotlight will then shift to Trump. He will take oath around noon local time (10.30 pm IST). Tradition dictates that the Chief Justice of the Supreme administers the oath of office to the president-elect. Sticking to that John Roberts will administer the oath to Trump.

The incoming president will hold up his right hand and place his left on the Bible, usually held by the spouse. He will then recite the following, “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

Trump will also deliver a presidential address, his first in the second term. His last inaugural speech lasted about 17 minutes in 2017, where he pledged to keep “America first”. It remains to be seen how long he will speak this time.

The ceremony will conclude with a benediction from Rabbi Dr Ari Berman, president of Yeshiva University; Imam Husham Al-Husainy of the Karbalaa Islamic Education Center; Pastor Lorenzo Sewell of 180 Church Detroit; and the Rev Father Frank Mann of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, Macchio will perform the national anthem.

Biden and Kamala Harris then get an official farewell.

Trump will sign nominations in the President’s Room near the Senate chamber. After this, he will be escorted to an inaugural luncheon, a tradition that started in 1897 but has evolved over the years. The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC) will host the lunch party for the president, the vice president and their spouses in the Saturday Hall in the US Capitol. They will be joined by Senate leaders, JCCIC members and other guests.

The cuisine at this gathering often boasts specialities from the home states of the new president and vice president. The programme will also include speeches, gift presentations and toasts to the new administration.

The inaugural procession

The procession for inaugural ceremonies has been a reason to celebrate since the first inauguration of George Washington in 1789. His supporters followed him on his journey to New York City. The parade has, of course, changed over the decades and became an official fixture only in 1809 when President James Madison took oath, according to a US media report.

Today, the procession follows an established protocol, which has evolved from the past inaugurations of 46 US presidents.

After the luncheon, Trump was expected to lead the inaugural procession from the US Capitol to the White House. However, this too has moved indoors and now be held at Capital One Arena.

“We will open Capital One Arena on Monday for LIVE viewing of this Historic event, and to host the Presidential Parade. I will join the crowd at Capital One, after my Swearing In,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, announcing the change of plans.

Every branch of the US armed forces – the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force and Coast Guard – is expected be part of the parade, as is tradition. It will also feature 7,500 participants from 23 states, which include marching bands from schools and universities, veterans, and first responders.

The first group to march will be people who responded to the assassination attempt on Trump at Butler Farm Grounds in Pennsylvania on July 13.

The MAGA garbage truck that Trump rode during the 2024 presidential campaign during a rally in Wisconsin was expected to feature in the parade. The president-elect addressed the media from the truck last October after Biden called Trump supporters “garbage”. However, with the parade now moved indoors it will have to be modified to fit the arena.

A limited number of inauguration tickets are usually available to the public for free through members of the US Congress. They are allowed to watch the ceremony from the grounds of the US Capitol.

But now Trump supporters have been requested to stay indoors. “The vast majority of ticketed guests will not be able to attend the ceremonies in person,” the inaugural committee said in a notice sent to ticket holders on Friday. It urged spectators to watch at “indoor venues of their choice,” adding that it’s “designating certain places to watch…”

Those with tickets for the Presidential Platform and members of Congress will be able to attend in person, reports CNN.

The inaugural balls

The inaugural ball is also an age-old tradition, which has been part of festivities celebrating the new president. The first ball was held for President James Madison and his wife Dolly in 1809. It was a great success and set a precedent and soon became part of Inauguration Day. Today, the number of such galas on Inauguration Day varies.

After an Oval Office signing ceremony, Trump will attend three inaugural balls – the “Commander in Chief Ball,” the “Liberty Inaugural Ball” and the “Starlight Ball,” reports Politico. He is expected to speak at all three.

Village People, the disco group whose songs “Y.M.C.A” and “Macho Man” were staples at Trump rallies in 2020 and 2024, will perform at the “Liberty Inaugural Ball”. They also appeared at Trump’s victory rally on the eve of the inauguration at Capital One Arena in Washington DC.

The three inaugural balls seem modest compared to the money raised by the Trump Vance Inaugural Committee – nearly $200 million, reports NBC. When Barack Obama became president, 10 official balls were organised in 2009. Bill Clinton attended 14 official balls during his second inauguration in 1997. The pandemic prevented Joe Biden from hosting any.

There might be fewer inaugural balls but Trump will be busy meeting some special guests. An interaction with Trump and Vance at any of the exclusive events comes at a price. Donors will have to cough up $1 million (Rs 6.5 crore) for a “candlelight dinner” with Trump or an intimate gathering with JD and Usha Vance, according to an inaugural committee fundraising report obtained by The Guardian.

Welcome to Trump’s America.

With inputs from agencies