Carrie Underwood, Village People to perform at Trump inauguration events

Country music star Carrie Underwood will 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 to perform shortly before Trump takes the oath of office at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, according to a copy of the inaugural program provided to The Associated Press on Monday.

"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 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 at a rally 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 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.

The pomp and spectacle that accompany the inauguration of a new president kicks off this weekend with events that include fireworks, a campaign-style rally and glitzy dinners.

Trump's second inauguration is expected to be much different 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 Jan. 6, 2021, siege on the building by Trump's supporters.

The committee planning Trump's inaugural ceremonies released a schedule Monday of four days of events centred on the Jan. 20 swearing-in ceremony, which Biden is planning to attend.

"President Trump is dedicated to uniting the country through the strength security, and opportunity of his America First agenda," Steve Witkoff and Kelly Loeffler, co-chairs of the inaugural committee, said in a statement.

Witkoff is Trump's incoming Middle East envoy and Loeffler is a former Georgia senator who is Trump's pick to run the Small Business Administration.

"The 2025 inaugural celebrations will reflect President-elect Trump's historic return to the White House and the American people's decisive vote to Make America Great Again," Witkoff and Loeffler said.

Events get underway on Saturday, when Trump is scheduled to attend a reception and fireworks display at his Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Va. Meanwhile, J.D. Vance, the incoming vice-president, will attend a reception for the new cabinet members and host a dinner.