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Tom Hanks will present a 90-minute television special to celebrate the inauguration of Joe Biden as President of the United States that will include performances by Justin Timberlake, Jon Bon Jovi, Demi Lovato and Ant Clemons.
“I was speechless when I was asked to act!” Lovato wrote on Instagram. Clemons was also happy: “To say it’s a dream come true would be little!”
Timberlake said he and Clemons will perform their new track, “Better Days.” “This song was our way of doing what little we could to encourage everyone to stay optimistic,” he added.
The special will air live on ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and MSNBC starting at 8:30 pm New York (0100 GMT) on January 20th. It will also be available for streaming via YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Twitch, Amazon Prime Video, Microsoft Bing, NewsNOW, DirectTV and U-watch.
According to the producers, the program “will highlight the resilience of the American people, their heroism and their unified commitment to unite as a nation to heal and rebuild.”
The inauguration ceremony will be different from other presidential oaths due to last week’s riots at the Capitol. Security will be extremely strict in the area.
The event was already going to be more modest due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Biden has asked his supporters to stay home and see him from a distance. To meet the size restrictions of crowds allowed to reduce the spread of viruses, traditional activities such as the parade and inaugural dances will be virtual.