NEW YORK (AP) — Country music star Carrie Underwood will perform “America the Beautiful” at that of Donald Trump inauguration next week and 1970s hitmakers Village People will perform at two inaugural events.
Underwood, who launched her career on “American Idol,” is scheduled to perform shortly before Trump is sworn in at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, according to a copy of the inaugural program provided Monday to The Associated Press.
“I love our country and am honored to have been invited to sing at the inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event,” Underwood said in a statement Monday. “I am honored to answer this call at a time when we must all come together in a spirit of unity and look to the future.”
American disco group Village People made a name for themselves in the late 1970s for their dance-pop hits and colorful onstage personas. Their best-known hit, “YMCA,” is widely considered a gay anthem — and became a staple of Trump rallies during the last election, along with their hit “Macho Man.”
The American disco group is expected to perform at one of Trump’s inaugural balls and a rally he is holding in Washington the day before he is sworn in.
“We know this won’t please some of you, but we believe music should be played without regard to politics,” the band said in a message posted Monday to its Facebook page. “Our YMCA song is a global anthem that will hopefully help bring the country together after a tumultuous and divided campaign in which our favorite candidate lost. Therefore, we believe now is the time to bring the country together through music, which is why VILLAGE PEOPLE will be performing at various events in support of Donald J. Trump’s 2025 inauguration.
Other performers at the inauguration ceremony include two of the president-elect’s musical favorites, country singer Lee Greenwood and opera singer Christopher Macchio.
The pomp and spectacle that accompanies the inauguration of a new president begins this weekend in Washington with fireworks at Trump’s golf club in Sterling, Virginia, a campaign rally in Washington, a visit to Arlington National Cemetery and lavish dinners before the former president takes the oath of office to become the next president.
Trump’s second inauguration is expected to be a very different affair from the last time America had a new president. Trump, who refused to accept his 2020 defeat, did not attend Democratic President Joe Biden’s inauguration ceremony at the Capitol, where visible reminders of the violence could still be seen Siege of January 6, 2021 on the building by Trump supporters.
The committee charged with planning Trump’s inauguration ceremonies on Monday released a four-day schedule of events centered on the Jan. 20 inauguration ceremony, which Biden plans to attend.
“President Trump is committed to unifying the country through the strength, security, and opportunity of his America First agenda,” Steve Witkoff and Kelly Loeffler, the co-chairs of the inaugural committee, said in a statement.
Witkoff is Trump’s new Middle East envoy and Loeffler is a former Georgia senator who is Trump’s choice to lead the Small Business Administration.
“The 2025 inaugural celebrations will reflect President-elect Trump’s historic return to the White House and the decisive vote of the American people to make America great again,” Witkoff and Loeffler said.
On Saturday, Trump is expected to attend a reception and fireworks display at his Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia. Additionally, Vice President-elect JD Vance will attend a reception for new Cabinet members and host a dinner.
On Sunday, the president-elect is scheduled to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery and then hold a “MAGA Victory” campaign-style rally at the Capital One Arena in downtown Washington. The Village People are expected to perform at the rally.
Republican Inauguration Day plans include a tea at the White House, the inauguration ceremony at the Capitol, a congressional luncheon, a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue and a trio of balls.
Inaugural balls include a military-focused Commander in Chief Ball, a Liberty Inaugural Ball aimed at Trump supporters that will feature a performance by Village People, and the Starlight Ball, focused on wealthy donors. Trump is expected to speak at all three balls.
The presidential parade after Trump’s inauguration will include about 7,500 participants, including first responders, veterans groups and school marching bands. First responders from Butler County, Pennsylvania, where Trump survived an assassination attempt, will be among the participating groups.
Incoming First Lady Melania Trump will have tea with the Bidens. In 2021, the Trumps did not invite the Bidens for tea before Biden’s inauguration, but instead left town before the next president was sworn in. In November, when Joe Biden invited President-elect Trump to the White House, Melania Trump chose to skip the ceremony. visit.
Tuesday, Trump’s first full day as the 47th president, he will include a national morning prayer service.
Greenwood will perform when Trump comes out to take the oath of office, according to Trump’s inaugural committee. Macchio is Trump’s choice to perform the national anthem at the end of the program.
Macchio performed at the Republican National Convention in July, at Trump’s home comeback rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in October, after his first rally was marred by an assassination attempt, and at his rally at Madison Square Garden who received backlash for crude and racist jokes of certain speakers.
The invocation is expected to be delivered by Franklin Graham, son of the late Pastor Billy Graham, and New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan.
Trump’s first inauguration in 2017 featuring performances by the Rockettes, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and 16-year-old “America’s Got Talent” singer Jackie Evancho.
Beyond the official events Trump is scheduled to attend, a number of satellite and unofficial events are being held in Washington around the inauguration, during which supporters are expected to celebrate and toast the new president. Vance must attend a ball organized by the conservative group Turning point United States. Other groups have announced plans for a Coronation Ball, the All American Ball, the Crypto Ball and the Legacy of Freedom Ball, hosted by the Black Conservative Federation.
Celebrities expected at the Legacy of Freedom Ball on Sunday include rappers Waka Flocka and Fivio Foreign, YouTube personality Anton Daniels, former NFL player Antonio Brown, podcasters and YouTubers The Cartier Family.
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Associated Press writers Maria Sherman in New York and Lindsey Bahr in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
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This story has been updated to correct the name of the Black Conservative Federation.