Getty Biden and Harris
If you’re wanting to watch the Inauguration special tonight celebrating President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, then you’ll want to know when to tune in and what TV channel. The event hosted by Tom Hanks is scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m. Eastern.
The Event Begins at 8:30 PM Eastern
The evening Inauguration special that is replacing the Inaugural Ball begins at 8:30 p.m. Eastern/7:30 p.m. Central. If you’re watching on the YouTube stream above on the West Coast, then you will also be watching at 5:30 p.m. Pacific live as it happens.
But if you are on the West Coast and choose to watch TV instead, through one of the stations listed in the section below, then you will need to check your local listings for the exact time. Biden’s Inauguration Website noted that the West Coast special on TV might air at 8:30 p.m. Pacific, and Heavy noted that some stations might even be later than that.
TV Channels to Watch
ABC‘s coverage will feature The Inauguration of Joseph R. Biden – an ABC News Special which begins at 8 p.m. Eastern.
CBS at 8 p.m. Eastern will air 30-minute special before Celebrating America begins at 8:30 p.m. Eastern.
NBC will air Celebrating America with Tom Hanks will air starting at 8:30 p.m. Eastern, right after an Inauguration specail from 8-8:30 p.m. Eastern.
Fox’s coverage is a little different than many other major stations. It does not currently have the Celebrating America event on its schedule. Meanwhile, Fox News is airing Tucker Carlson Tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern and Hannity at 9 p.m. Eastern.
PBS is airing PBS News Hour coverage of Celebrating America from 8 to 10 p.m. Eastern.
CNN is hosting the longest wall-to-wall coverage of all the networks. CNN’s coverage began January 19 at 4 p.m. Eastern and continues until January 21 at 4 a.m. Eastern.
MSNBC‘s coverage will include Celebrating America starting at 8:30 p.m. Eastern. You can watch Brian Williams discuss the day’s events on The 11th Hour at 11 p.m. Eastern.
Telemundo is airing Especial Noticias Telemundo: Biden, Una Nueva Era at 8 p.m. Eastern to 10 p.m. Eastern.
CNBC is also airing Celebrating America from 8:30-10 p.m. Eastern.
According to the Biden Inaugural website, you can also watch coverage on the following stations:
- AT&T U-verse (Channel 212/1212 in SD/HD)
- AT&T DIRECTV (Channel 201)
The event will also be streaming on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Twitch.
To find what channel any of the stations above are on for you, click here to go to TV Guide’s listings. Then change the “Provider” (under TV Listings) to your local provider. You’ll be able to scroll down to see what channel number to look for in your region.
Special Guests Tonight
Here’s a look at some of the special guests expected to attend tonight’s event.
- Tom Hanks is hosting the special
- Bruce Springsteen
- John Legend
- Foo Fighters
- Demi Lovato
- Jon Bon Jovi
- Justin Timberlake & Ant Clemons will be performing Better Days.
When Timberlake announced his and Clemons’ performance at the Inauguration celebration, he shared the tweet below, writing: “A few months ago @AntClemons and I wrote BETTER DAYS. This song was our way of doing what little we could to encourage everyone to stay hopeful and to keep working towards a better future. I’m honored to announce we’ll be performing it for the Inauguration.”
A few months ago @AntClemons and I wrote BETTER DAYS. This song was our way of doing what little we could to encourage everyone to stay hopeful and to keep working towards a better future. I’m honored to announce we’ll be performing it for the Inauguration.
Additional guests include:
- Eva Longoria
- Kerry Washington
Lady Gaga performed the National Anthem during the inauguration ceremony, and Jennifer Lopez and Garth Brooks also performed.
NPS.gov describes tonight’s event this way: “A 90-minute televised prime-time program featuring remarks from the newly sworn-in president and vice president and celebrity performances will include scenes and special displays backdropped by the National Mall and Memorial Parks.”
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