How to stream the Biden inauguration live

(Image credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

published 20 January 2021

President-elect Joe Biden is set to be sworn in on a very different looking Inauguration Day.

Wednesday's inauguration ceremony will commence at 11:15 a.m. Eastern, with Biden being sworn in at noon. His speech is expected to last between 20 and 30 minutes and emphasize "the need to bring the country together during an unprecedented moment of crisis," PBS' Yamiche Alcindor reports.

The inauguration ceremony will feature Lady Gaga singing the national anthem and a musical performance by Jennifer Lopez, as well as a poetry reading from Amanda Gorman, an invocation from former Georgetown University president Father Leo J. O'Donovan, and a benediction delivered by Reverend Dr. Silvester Beaman, according to ABC News. Firefighter Andrea Hall will also be leading the pledge of allegiance.

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President Trump is notably skipping the inauguration ceremony, breaking with tradition by leaving Washington before his successor's swearing-in, although Vice President Mike Pence is set to be in attendance. While traditional inauguration festivities have been significantly altered due to the pandemic, a primetime TV special is set for later in the evening that will be hosted by Tom Hanks and begin at 8:30 p.m. Eastern.

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

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