Donald Trump’s Inauguration 2025: Everything you need to know
In America, Inauguration Day is a spectacle not to be missed and there are big changes for Donald Trump as he enters the West Wing again. See how it will unfold.
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From the parade to the speech to which famous faces will be in the crowd and where you can watch it live, here is your guide to Donald Trump’s second inauguration.
When and where is the inauguration?
The swearing-in ceremony was due to take place on the West Front Lawn of the US Capitol in Washington DC at 12pm local time on January 20.
However, Donald Trump has relocated it to the Capitol Rotunda fearing an Arctic blast could risk the lives of the crowd.
It will be the first time since Ronald Reagan’s 1985 inauguration the ceremony has been held in the rotunda.
It comes as the US braces for temperatures as low as -31C, conditions capable of causing frostbite in just 10 minutes, due to a polar vortex set to sweep the nation over the weekend.
Guests are invited to sit inside the sheltered Capitol One Arena to view the inauguration live on big screens.
While Inauguration Day is always a public holiday for those living in Washington DC, this year it coincides with Martin Luther King Day, meaning the entire country has it off.
Inauguration Day is always held on January 20 – except when the date falls on a Sunday, in which case it is shifted to January 21 as it was in 2013 when Barack Obama was sworn in for his second term.
How will the event compare to Trump’s 2017 inauguration?
Despite Mr Trump’s claim his 2017 inauguration crowd was the largest in history, the White House official records state 720,000 people attended – a fraction of those at Obama’s 2009 inauguration.
The discrepancy between Mr Trump’s claims and the White House figures caused an uproar at the time with the furious president’s team issuing media outlets with photographs taken from different angles which seemed to show bigger crowds.
There was also mass outrage about Mr Trump’s first election with around 470,000 demonstrators taking to the streets of DC.
This time there are registered protests about LGBT+ and asylum seeker rights, with one application before the Park Service suggesting the crowd will only be about 50,000 people.
It is unlikely the protests will go ahead considering the predicted weather conditions.
Estimates about the crowd size watching the actual inauguration vary, but anecdotally members of Congress report strong demand from their constituents for tickets.
Hotels in the area have occupancy rates of more than 70 per cent which is at a similar level seen at Mr Trump’s first inauguration.
What will security be like?
Security is always tight on Inauguration Day and will be even more so this year given the multiple assassination attempts made on Mr Trump during his election campaign.
Washington DC officials are already asking residents and visitors to plan to walk and take public transport due to the widespread road closures.
Long lines are expected at the airport-style security gates.
The Secret Service is running the operation and has banned attendees from taking items including not only weapons but folding chairs, strollers, backpacks, laser pointers, drones, umbrellas, laptops and cameras with telescopic lenses.
A 25,000-strong contingent of police and military personnel had been preparing to guard Washington DC, which authorities were already locking down with almost 50km of anti-scale fencing.“That threat of the lone actor remains the biggest justification for us being at this heightened state of alert,” Capitol Police chief J. Thomas Manger said.
What high profile guests will attend?
American Idol star Carrie Underwood will perform the unofficial anthem America The Beautiful shortly before Mr Trump takes his oath.
One of Mr Trump’s favourite bands Village People will perform at one of the many Inauguration balls, after he used their hit song YMCA at many of his campaign rallies.
In an unprecedented move, Mr Trump has also invited a swath of world leaders to his inauguration, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and the leaders of Italy, Argentina, Brazil and El Salvador.
Xi has sent his regrets and will send Vice President Han Zheng in his stead.
Australia will be represented by Foreign Minister Penny Wong and ambassador Kevin Rudd.
Packaging billionaire Anthony Pratt, who took out a full-page advertisement in The New York Times over the weekend to congratulate Mr Trump will also attend.
“I’m honoured to support your call to Make America Great again by bringing manufacturing jobs back home,” he said.
Outgoing President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr Jill Biden will attend despite Mr Trump not extending him the same courtesy in 2021.
America’s other former presidents – Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton – will also attend, although Mr Obama’s wife, Michelle, will be a notable absentee.
What happens after the swearing-in ceremony?
After Mr Trump is sworn in as the 47th US president, he will deliver his inauguration speech.
Last time, he spoke for 17 minutes in what became known as his “American Carnage” address.
After his speech, the Presidential Parade, which ordinarily steps off from the Capitol before travelling down Pennsylvania Ave and ending at the White House, will also be relocated to inside the Capitol One Arena.
The parade will include the Trump garbage truck which the incoming president used for a media stunt after Mr Biden called his supporters “garbage”.
Mr Biden’s comment came as he was clapping back at a remark made by a comedian at a rally for Mr Trump who called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage”.
It will be a busy afternoon for Mr Trump who has pledged to sign dozens of Day One orders ranging from overhauling Mr Biden’s immigration policies to taking away federal funding from schools teaching critical race theory.
That evening, more than a dozen inauguration balls will be staged across Washington DC – some official and others not.
Mr Trump and First Lady Melania are expected to make appearances at the Liberty and Freedom Balls at the Washington Convention Center as well as the A Salute To Our Armed Services Inaugural Ball at the National Building Museum.
What’s next for President Trump?
Mr Trump’s work starts as soon as he is sworn in on Inauguration Day, when he is expected to sign numerous Day One orders.
He has stated his two highest priorities are securing the border and imposing tariffs.
Mr Trump promised to sign a “record-setting” number of executive actions this week, including to roll back Mr Biden’s electric vehicle mandate and kick off a mass deportation operation that is set to begin by targeting illegal immigrants with criminal records in Chicago.
The President-elect also detailed his immediate priorities starting with a 90-day extension to avert an America-wide ban on TikTok.
What will President Trump do with Bitcoin?
Hours away from taking office, he has launched his own cryptocurrency, with the release of the meme coin, $Trump.
The venture was co-ordinated by a Trump Organisation affiliate, CIC Digital LLC, which has previously sold Trump-branded shoes and fragrances.
Meme coins, which are used to build popularity for a viral movement, are volatile investments.
“My NEW Official Trump Meme is HERE! It’s time to celebrate everything we stand for: WINNING!” Mr Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
It soared to a market value of $US32bn ($A51.7bn) in 24 hours, making $US25bn ($A40.4bn) on paper for Mr Trump and his firms in what his son Eric said was “the hottest digital meme on earth”.
What about Joe Biden?
After Inauguration Day, Mr Biden will no longer be president, and will likely leave Washington DC to return to his home in Delaware.
The 82-year-old will be tailed by a Secret Service protection team for the rest of his life.
How can we watch it?
You’ll have to get up early if you want to watch Donald Trump’s inauguration live in Australia.
The event starts at 12pm on January 20 local time (4am AEDT on January 21).
You can watch the coverage live in Australia on Sky from 3.30am AEDT.
In Washington DC, members of the public are welcome to attend Inauguration Day.
Each member of Congress had a number of tickets they handed out to constituents who requested them.
However, even without a ticket, guests can cram into the public viewing areas.
Barack Obama’s first inauguration in 2009 drew the largest crowd in history with an estimated 1.8 million people filling the Capitol according to the White House’s official tally.
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Originally published as Donald Trump’s Inauguration 2025: Everything you need to know
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