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Biden's inauguration ceremony to feature national anthem by Lady Gaga, performance by Jennifer Lopez

Lady Gaga
Posted at 8:00 AM, Jan 14, 2021
and last updated 2021-01-14 08:01:35-05

Lady Gaga will perform the national anthem at President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony and Jennifer Lopez will hold a musical performance of her own on Jan. 20 at the U.S. Capitol.

The announcement was confirmed Thursday morning in a statement from the Biden Inaugural Committee.

In addition to the musical performances, the inauguration ceremony will also feature a poetry reading from Amanda Gorman — a 2017 National Youth Poet Laureate — and the pledge of allegiance by Andrea Hall, the President of the International Association of Firefighters Local 3920 and the first woman to be promoted to fire captain in Fulton, Georgia.

The ceremony will also feature an invocation from Father Leo J. O'Donovan, a Catholic priest, and a benediction by Rev. Dr. Silvester Beama, the Pastor of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Wilmington, Delaware. Both are longtime friends of the Bidens.

Lady Gaga performed the national anthem prior to Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara, California and performed the Super Bowl Halftime Show in Houston the year after. Lopez performed the Super Bowl Halftime Show last year in Miami.

Biden's inauguration is expected to feature limited attendance amid the COVID-19 pandemic and security concerns following last week's riots at the U.S. Capitol. The Biden Inaugural Committee has already announced that the typical parade that follows the swearing-in ceremony will take place virtually and will feature supporters from across the country.

The Inaugural Committee has also planned a 90-minute television special that will air on all major networks on the evening of Jan. 20.

"Celebrating America" will be hosted by actor Tom Hanks and will include performances by singers Demi Lovato, Justin Timberlake, Ant Clemons, and Jon Bon Jovi.