Biden inauguration: How will this year's ceremony be different?

20 January 2021

American flags in focus before the Whitehouse. — Image caption,
Usually, the inauguration ceremony takes place in front of hundreds of thousands of people who gather to watch the president-elect get sworn in to office at the US Capitol in Washington D.C. However, the coronavirus pandemic and security concerns following the recent riots at the Capitol building, mean crowds can't gather.

A worker plants several USA flags in the ground before the Washington Monument.

Instead of people, almost 200,000 American flags have been put into the grassy area of the National Mall. That is a lot of flags! There are so many of them, because they represent members of the public who can't be there in person. Without the usual crowds, this inauguration will be the quietest in ceremonial history.

The pillars of light illuminate the night sky of the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

The art installation is called the 'Field of Flags' and includes flags from every US state and territory. Fifty six pillars of light will also beam up to represent the states and territories.

The Whitehouse in the distance in front of many flags laid on the ground.

Typically, a new president would want the area to be as full as possible with their supporters, but this year the Biden administration has asked people to stay home and not travel to the Capitol due to Covid-19 restrictions. People are being asked to watch the event on TV instead.

Wider shot of the flags placed in front of the Washington Monument.

Another key difference this year is that the outgoing president, Donald Trump, won't be there. "To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th," Mr Trump tweeted on 8 January. Only three other presidents - John Adams, John Quincy Adams and Andrew Johnson - have actively chosen to not be there to see their successor sworn in.