WASHINGTON – Inauguration Day may look wildly different this year, but it’ll still be star-studded.
Lady Gaga, J. Lo. and Garth Brooks are expected to appear in-person at the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday, according to inauguration officials.
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Gaga will sing the national anthem as Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are sworn in on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol, and Jennifer Lopez will also give a musical performance.
In a virtual news conference Monday, Brooks said he will perform solo doing “broken down, bare-bones stuff,” calling it a “statement of unity” instead of a political statement.
Foo Fighters, John Legend and Bruce Springsteen will perform remotely during the inauguration, which won’t include a parade or crowds of people due to COVID-19 and security concerns following the deadly Jan. 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump.
Actresses and political activists Eva Longoria and Kerry Washington will introduce segments of the event.
Keke Palmer will host a livestream of “Our White House: An Inaugural Celebration for Young Americans, which will be shown online from 9-11:30 a.m. It will run before and during the ceremonies.
Instead of an Inaugural ball, actor Tom Hanks will host a 90-minute primetime TV special that will air at 7:30 p.m. It will be streamed on ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and MSNBC, as well as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Amazon Prime Video, according to the Associated Press.
Justin Timberlake, Jon Bon Jovi, Demi Lovato and Ant Clemons will also perform.
Despite a raging pandemic that is forcing most inaugural events online, it was a sign that Hollywood was back and eager to embrace the new president-elect four years after many big names stayed away from the inauguration of Trump, hugely unpopular in Hollywood.
Outside the official events, one of the more prominent galas each inauguration is The Creative Coalition's quadrennial ball, a benefit for arts education. This year, the ball is entirely virtual.
But it is star-studded nonetheless: The event, which will involve food being delivered simultaneously to attendees in multiple cities, will boast celebrity hosts including Jason Alexander, David Arquette, Matt Bomer, Christopher Jackson, Ted Danson, Lea DeLaria, Keegan Michael-Key, Chrissy Metz, Mandy Patinkin and many others.
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