The time has (finally) come for a leadership change-over in the United States with Joe Biden set to take over from Donald Trump tomorrow. The election results eventually declared Biden as the winner back in November, despite Trump saying otherwise, so on Wednesday the 20th of January the 46th President will be sworn in at his inauguration.
Given the current pandemic and recent events at the nation’s Capitol building, this inauguration is going to look a little different. It will not be open to the general public as per usual and will instead be streamed and broadcast live.
The good news is there are plenty of ways for Aussies to catch all the action.
What time is the inauguration happening?
There’s a fairly brutal time difference between the US East Coast and Australia. So if you’re looking to watch the inauguration live, prepare to get up early.
The event takes place on Wednesday the 20th of January, which translates to Thursday the 21st here in Australia. There are plenty of pre and post ceremonies but the official swearing-in will happen around midday EST. Here’s what that translates to:
- 4:00 am AEDT (NSW, VIC, ACT, TAS)
- 3:00 am AEST (QLD)
- 3:30 am ACST (SA, NT)
- 1:00 am AWST (WA)
How to watch the ceremony in Australia
In the U.S. the inauguration will be broadcast on nearly every local TV station along with a number of online platforms.
Similarly, in Australia, a lot of our local networks will be showing the ceremony as well. Tune in at the times above to see the inauguration on Channel 9, ABC, SBS, Channel 7 or Channel 10.
The inauguration is also being officially streamed on Joe Biden’s inauguration page and its social media platforms.
There is also a range of accessibility options available for viewers.
While current President Donald Trump won’t be attending for the presidential hand-over a number of other big names are. Previous presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush will all be in attendance. Not to mention Lady Gaga is set to perform the national anthem.
Following the inauguration ceremony the President along with his new Vice President, Kamala Harris, will move to Arlington Cemetery to lay a wreath. They will be joined by the previous presidents and their wives. This will also be streamed live.
Post-ceremonial celebrations include the ‘Celebrating America Primetime Special’. This television special is hosted by Tom Hanks and involves a huge number of celebrity guests including Jon Bon Jovi, John Legend, Demi Lovato, Bruce Springsteen, Justin Timberlake and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Again, Aussies can catch this special via the official inauguration page or its socials.