Carrie Underwood to perform 'America the Beautiful' at Donald Trump's inauguration event

Carrie Underwood, who began her career on American Idol, is set to perform shortly before Donald Trump takes the oath of office at the US Capitol on January 20, 2025. Check out more details about other artists who will perform at the inauguration event.

Singer Carrie Underwood is set to perform 'America the Beautiful' at Donald Trump's inauguration next week and the 1970s hitmakers Village People will perform at two inaugural events. Underwood, who launched her career on American Idol, is set to perform shortly before Trump takes the oath of office at the US Capitol on January 20, 2025. “I love our country and am honoured to have been asked to sing at the Inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event,” Underwood said in a statement on Monday.

“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.” American disco group the Village People made a name for themselves in the late '70s for their chant-along dance-pop hits and their colourful on-stage personas. Their best-known hit, 'Y.M.C.A.', is widely considered a gay anthem and became a staple of Trump's rallies in the last election, along with their hit 'Macho Man'.

The American disco group is set to perform at one of Trump's inaugural balls and a rally he's holding in Washington the day before he's sworn in. “We know this won't make some of you happy to hear however we believe that music is to be performed without regard to politics,” the band said in a post on its Facebook page on Monday. 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. Therefore, we believe it's now time to bring the country together with music which is why VILLAGE PEOPLE will be performing at various events as part of the 2025 Inauguration of Donald J Trump.”

Other inauguration ceremony performers will include two of the president-elect's musical favourites, country singer Lee Greenwood and opera singer Christopher Macchio. Trump's second inauguration is expected to be a much different affair than the last time America got a new president. Trump, who refused to accept his 2020 loss, did not attend Democratic President Joe Biden's swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol, where there were still visible reminders of the violent January 6, 2021, siege on the building by Trump's supporters.

Trump's first inauguration in 2017 featured performances from the Rockettes, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and 16-year-old America's Got Talent singer Jackie Evancho.

(With PTI inputs)