The festivities planned for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration next week symbolize a vibrant return to the White House — in contrast to his ceremony eight years ago, when his team struggled to book big musical acts and people descended on the city to protest his swearing-in.
This year’s inaugural schedule features a fireworks show at Trump’s Washington-area golf club, a “Make America Great Again” rally and a lineup of performers including country music star Carrie Underwood.
“The 2025 inaugural celebrations will reflect President-elect Trump’s historic return to the White House and the American people’s decisive vote to Make America Great Again,” Steve Witkoff and Kelly Loeffler, co-chairs of the Trump-Vance inaugural committee, said in a statement Monday.
Carrie Underwood
Underwood is scheduled to perform “America the Beautiful” at the inauguration, the singer’s publicist confirmed Monday. She will be accompanied by the Armed Forces Chorus and the U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club.
“I love our country and am honored to have been asked to sing at the Inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event,” Underwood said in a statement shared with The Washington Post. “I am humbled to answer the call at a time when we must all come together in the spirit of unity and looking to the future.”
Village People
Victor Willis, the only surviving founding member of Village People, said the disco group would perform its hit “Y.M.C.A.” at “at least one” inauguration event with Trump.
In a Facebook post Monday, Willis described Vice President Kamala Harris as the group’s “preferred candidate” in the 2024 presidential race.
“We know this wont make some of you happy to hear however we believe that music is to be performed without regard to politics,” Willis wrote. “Our song 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.”
Christopher Macchio
Classical singer Christopher Macchio will also perform on Inauguration Day, singing the national anthem and “O America,” his manager confirmed to The Post on Monday.
The artist will also perform during the fireworks show on Saturday — an elaborate display choreographed to Macchio’s music, said his manager, Louis Gregory. On Tuesday, the day after the inauguration, Macchio is scheduled to perform during a morning prayer service at Washington National Cathedral.
Macchio has performed at several of Trump’s events at the president-elect’s request, including at an October campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump was injured months earlier in an apparent assassination attempt.
