Washington, D.C. is buzzing with preparations as the city gets ready to welcome tens of thousands of guests for President Donald Trump’s inauguration. The event will include the presidential inauguration ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House, and the Inaugural Ball, which will be held at various locations that evening.
To attend the inauguration ceremony, tickets are required. These tickets can be obtained through members of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives. Citizens can apply for tickets through their local representative, but due to high demand, they are typically distributed through a lottery or given priority to sponsors. Although the tickets are free, they can also be purchased online at inaugurationtickets.com.
The inauguration stage set up in front of the Capitol will accommodate 1,600 VIPs, including politicians, Supreme Court justices, former presidents, diplomats, and businesspeople invited by the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC). In addition, 4,000 to 5,000 ticket holders will be admitted to the lawn in front of the Capitol. For those unable to secure tickets, large screens will be set up between 4th Street and the Washington Monument on the National Mall, allowing people to watch the ceremony from the site.
The parade can be viewed without a ticket, although some sections with stands require a ticket to enter. Free tickets for these stands, which offer a view of the inauguration, have been sold for over $3,000 online. Additionally, hotels with views of Pennsylvania Avenue were booked out early, regardless of price.
Given the road closures and parking challenges expected on the day, the Smithsonian Museums will be closed. Visitors are urged to use public transportation and the Metro (Metro Centre, Gallery Place, Judicial Square, L’Enfant Plaza, Federal Centre).
For the Starlight Ball, which hosts the first and second dances, tickets are available only to those who have donated at least $1 million. Many who have contributed this amount are reportedly on a waiting list. This has led The New York Times to comment that this illustrates how much donors and corporations with significant resources are attempting to gain favour with President Trump.
President-elect Trump raised $107 million for his 2017 inauguration, but this time he has raised more than $200 million, nearly double the amount from 2017 and over three times the $62 million raised by President Biden in 2021.