It's official: America's 46th POTUS, Joe Biden, is in the building. One of the biggest events on the world political stage, Inauguration Day only comes around every four years in the US - making the Biden inauguration today a pretty big deal! Follow our unbiased guide below for how to watch the Biden inauguration online and get a 2021 Inauguration Day live stream, no matter where you in the world right now, with action in the Capitol well under way.
In just a few moments, Democrat Joe Biden be sworn in as the 46th President of the United States, succeeding one-term Commander-in-Chief Donald Trump. Joining Biden in being sworn in to the highest offices in the land is 56-year-old Kamala Harris, the Vice President-elect who - in a matter of moments - will make US history in becoming the country's first female Vice President, first African-American Vice President, and first Asian-American Vice President.
Inauguration Day 2021 takes place today (Wednesday, January 20) in Washington, D.C. Both domestic and international coverage is extensive, with full TV channel and live streaming details below. The inauguration program is scheduled to begin at around 11.15am ET / 8.15am PT / 4.15pm GMT / 3.15am AEDT but most major US networks will be on-air well before that. You can watch your preferred channel or commentary from anywhere with the help of a good VPN.
Once the sixth youngest senator to serve in Congress, now 78-year-old Democrat Joe Biden will become the oldest President to occupy the Oval Office when everything's made official today, making Inauguration Day 2021 one that will be remembered for a long time indeed.
The pair are expected to arrive at the US Capitol around 11am ET / 8am PT this morning, with opening remarks scheduled according to the Inauguration Day program set to begin at 11.15am ET / 8.15am PT with an invocation by Father Leo J. O’Donovan, a former Georgetown University president. This will be followed by Andrea Hall, a firefighter from Georgia, leading the Pledge of Allegiance a poetry reading by Amanda Gorman, America's first national youth poet laureate; and a musical performance by last year's Super Bowl Halftime Show star Jennifer Lopez.
After this, this evening America will be treated to a special Inauguration Day concert, dubbed Celebrating America, in a bid to put the divisive scenes such as those witnessed in the Capitol last week behind the country as it looks ahead to a new era. The special TV event will take from 8.30pm ET/PT (though some networks are airing a live feed at 5.30pm PT). and is hosted by Tom Hanks. Full details are below, but Bruce Springsteen, John Legend and Foo Fighters are some of the headliners.
Read on for how to watch a Joe Biden Inauguration Day live stream as America swears in its 46th President and history-making Vice President Kamala Harris - the action is live and under way in the Capitol, so tune in now.
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How to watch Inauguration Day 2021 from outside your country
If you’re currently travelling abroad for work or out of the country, watching your preferred US election coverage may be difficult, as some viewing options could be geo-blocked.
Thankfully, there’s an easy fix that will let you watch Joe Biden's inauguration online from anywhere. By downloading a VPN, you can watch no matter where you’re currently located. This simple piece of software changes your IP address to one in a different country where the debate is being broadcast, so you can stream it as if you were back home.
Use a VPN to watch Biden inauguration online from anywhere
How to watch Biden inauguration on Fox News: live stream Inauguration Day 2021 now
How to watch Joe Biden's inauguration: live stream Inauguration Day 2021 on CNN
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Inauguration Day live stream 2021: how to watch Biden inauguration on C-SPAN
- Ant Clemons
- Jon Bon Jovi
- Foo Fighters
- John Legend
- Eva Longoria
- Demi Lovato
- Bruce Springsteen
- Justin Timberlake
- Kerry Washington
More ways to watch Joe Biden's inauguration in the US right now
Of course, pretty much every TV network in the US and a great many around the world are going to be covering Inauguration Day 2021, the Celebrating America special that follows in the evening, and more.
Below are country-by-country guides to help you watch the US Presidential election online in places like Canada, the UK and Australia. But first, here are some of the other main US channels that will be offering round-the-clock Presidential election results coverage - and how to get them without cable.
Watch the US Presidential election on ABC for free
If you have ABC as part of your cable package, simply head to the ABC website, log-in with your credentials and stream away. Otherwise, you could take advantage of fuboTV's FREE 7-day trial, which will get you access to ABC and its news coverage - and a whole lot more. It costs $64.99 a month for an entry-level plan thereafter, should you decide to keep it.
Watch US Presidential election coverage on CBS for free
CBS is available with most basic cable packages, but if you've cut the cord and need a streaming-only solution in time for the Biden inauguration, then the network's CBS All Access service has you covered - get a FREE 7-day CBS All Access trial here. It costs $5.99 a month if you decide to keep it for a plan with limited commercials, or $9.99 if you opt for the more premium commercial-free tier.
Watch US Presidential election results coverage on NBC for free
NBC is included in nearly all cable packages, and if that's got you covered, then simply log-in with your TV provider details to watch the Presidential election online direct through the NBC website. Alternatively, you can watch Inauguration Day 2021 coverage continue on NBC this Wednesday in a number of major metropolitan markets courtesy of Sling TV and its FREE Sling Blue trial. Sling is one of the most affordable OTT providers around, and you'll pay just $30 a month if you decide to keep the package.
Here's a complete rundown of the top streaming services for US national news coverage:
- SlingTV $30 per month - With SlingTV’s Sling Blue plan for $30 per month, you’ll get access to CNN, Fox News, Fox, MSNBC, NBC (in select markets) and loads of other live TV channels. The service also lets you watch on three screens simultaneously and record content to watch later with its Cloud DVR.
- FuboTV $64.99 per month - FuboTV gives you access to 114 live TV channels including ABC, Fox, Fox News, MSNBC and more but it does not include CNN. The service also includes a 7-day free trial so you can test it out for yourself.
- Hulu with Live TV $54.99 per month - Hulu with Live TV gives you access to all the channels you’ll need to watch politics and news coverage in the US including ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, CNN, Fox News and MSNBC. The service also includes its own Hulu Originals and supports a wide variety of streaming devices.
- AT&T TV Now $55 per month - AT&T TV Now’s Plus plan will give you access to over 45 live TV channels including ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox, Fox News, MSNBC and NBC. However, if you want even more channels and an HBO Max subscription, you can sign up for the service’s Max plan for $80 per month.
- YouTube TV $65 per month - YouTube’s live streaming service will give you access to all of the channels you’ll need to keep up with all the latest national news events including ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, CNN, Fox News and MSNBC. YouTube TV also has flexible contracts and no extra fees for HD or cancellation.
What time is the Biden Inauguration: full Inauguration Day 2021 schedule
Presidential Inauguration Day is more than just the quick one-and-done swearing in ceremonies you get at the local level of politics - in fact, it's whole day's worth of formalities and traditions.
Things get under way today with the biggest deal of them all, as President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris are officially sworn in on the West front of the US Capitol building. President Biden will then deliver an inaugural address, in which he's expected to focus on how America can heal its political divisions and defeat the Covid-19 pandemic.
Here's how the whole day unfolds. All times are ET.
- 11am: President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris make their way to their Capitol
- 11.30am: opening remarks, swearing in ceremony, and first official address by President Biden
- 2pm onwards: wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery
- 3pm onwards: Presidential Escort to the White House, followed by virtual 'Parade Across America' live stream
- 8.30pm: Celebrating America Inauguration Day concert
How to watch 2021 Inauguration Day concert: Celebrating America live stream and time
As mentioned above, this morning's Presidential inauguration will be followed tonight by a special Inauguration Day concert featuring some of America's biggest musical stars and hosted by legendary actor Tom Hanks.
Called Celebrating America, the 90-minute special starts at 8.30pm ET/PT and will be simulcast across most major US national TV networks, including: ABC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, PBS and NBC. Select local/regional channels will also air a live feed from 5.30pm PT.
You can also watch on a number of social media platforms and streaming services - full details of which an be found on the official Biden/Harris website.
The headliners are generally being billed as Bruce Springsteen and John Legend, but here's the full Celebrating American Inauguration Day concert line-up in alphabetical order:
- Ant Clemons
- Jon Bon Jovi
- Foo Fighters
- John Legend
- Eva Longoria
- Demi Lovato
- Bruce Springsteen
- Justin Timberlake
- Kerry Washington
Read on for full details of how to watch the Biden inauguration and live stream US Presidential Inauguration Day 2021 in countries all over the world including Canada, the UK and Australia.
How to watch US Presidential Inauguration Day 2021 in Canada
How to watch Biden inauguration: live stream Inauguration Day in the UK
How to watch Inauguration Day 2021 and live stream Biden inauguration in Australia
- Discover all of today's very best streaming VPNs
Is Trump attending Joe Biden's inauguration?
No, it's official - The Donald has left the building.
As widely expected, Donald Trump will break with tradition and not attend the inauguration of Joe Biden today, with the outgoing Commander-in-Chief flying out of the White House to his Mar-A-Lago golf resort early this morning.
Instead, outgoing VP Mike Pence will attend on behalf of the current administration.
