Donald Trump will become US president for a second time on Monday in a day of pomp and circumstance that marks a peaceful transition of power following his extraordinary return to politics.

Approximately 250,000 people are expected to brave the freezing weather and descend on central Washington to see Trump become the 47th president of the US. He would become only the second president in the nation’s history to serve two non-consecutive terms, after Grover Cleveland in the late 1800s.

How will the day unfold?

The extravaganza starts in the morning with a service at St John’s church. Trump will then head to the White House for tea with outgoing President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden before heading to the US Capitol for the swearing-in ceremony. Along with a parade along the way, the day will be capped off with lavish, black-tie inaugural balls across Washington.

Main events of the inauguration day

Ministry of the church of San Juan

Tea at the White House with Joe Biden and Jill Biden

11am est

Swearing-in ceremony

With the event already inside, Capitol One Arena will host a live viewing

Farewell to Biden and vice-president Kamala Harris

Ceremony in the President’s Signing Room

3:30 pm est

Presidential parade at Capital One Arena

Trump said he would “join the crowd” after the swearing-in ceremony

Signing ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House

What happens during the swearing-in ceremony?

The main event will take place in the rotunda of the US Capitol after the ceremony was moved indoors due to extremely cold temperatures, estimated to be -5C during the ceremony. It was the first inauguration held indoors since 1985, when extreme cold hit Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration. Usually, the ceremony is held on the marble terrace on the west side of the Capitol building, facing the National Mall.

After some music and a prayer, vice-president-elect JD Vance will take his oath of office, placing his hand on a family bible that belonged to his maternal grandfather, which is held by the US Supreme Court associate justice Brett Kavanaugh.

US Supreme Court chief justice John Roberts will administer the presidential oath, written into the constitution, to Trump. The president-elect will place his hand on the same two bibles he used at his first inauguration: the one given to him by his mother in 1955, and the other used by Abraham Lincoln in 1861.

Trump will officially become president when he takes the oath of office, at around 12pm EST.

The president’s oath of office

“I solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of the President of the United States, and do to the best of my ability, to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

Trump will then deliver his inaugural address, laying out his vision for the next four years. In 2016, his 1,434-word speech struck a dark tone as he declared “The killing of Americans stops here”.

Former presidents and first ladies, lawmakers, Trump, Vance and their families and friends will fill the Capitol to witness the ceremony, along with tech executives and billionaire allies including X owner Elon Musk , Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg. TikTok chief executive Shou Zi Chew is expected to attend the inauguration as he fights to get his viral app back up and running in the US.

Although foreign leaders do not usually attend inaugurations, Beijing confirmed that Chinese vice-president Han Zheng would attend after Trump invited President Xi Jinping.

Will Trump make any policies on the day?

Trump is expected to sign about 100 executive actions after he is sworn in. He promised to be a “dictator on day one” and on the campaign trail, Trump made several promises that would be fulfilled on his first day in office. They range from launching a mass deportation program to imposing sweeping tariffs on imports, pardoning those accused of the January 6 2021 Capitol riots, and rolling back regulations related to energy and climate.

On Sunday, he also promised an executive order to delay the BAN against TikTok.

There are two opportunities during his busy schedule on inauguration day for him to make good on these promises. While at the Capitol, he will go to the president’s signing room, outside the Senate chamber, for the signing ceremony that may include executive orders or proclamations. Later, he had a chance at the signing ceremony in the Oval Office.

It is also possible that he will outline the policy during his inaugural address.

How tight is the security for the event?

Security is always tight for presidential inaugurations, but this will be stronger than in the past because of “a higher threat environment”, according to the Secret Service. There were two attempts on Trump’s life during the election campaign last year, including a shooting that injured his ear.

Approximately 25,000 law enforcement officers and military personnel will secure the event, including from the Secret Service, Metropolitan Police Department and National Guard.

More than 30 miles of anti-scale fencing went up, more than any previous national special security event. Law enforcement agencies will also patrol from the air using drones.

Officials said there was no specific threat to the inauguration but the US Capitol Police warned that “a lone actor” was the biggest potential risk during the event.

Who will perform at the ceremony?

Country music star Carrie Underwood, who rose to fame after competing on American Idol, will headline the inauguration. He will perform “America the Beautiful” between Vance and Trump’s oaths of office. Country singer Lee Greenwood will also perform, and the swearing-in ceremony will conclude with the singing of the US national anthem by opera singer Christopher Macchio.

In the evening, rapper Nelly, country band Rascal Flatts and disco group The Village People were among the performers at the inaugural balls. Trump performed the latter’s “YMCA” and “Macho Man” anthems on the campaign trail.

The high-profile musical line-up is in stark contrast to Trump’s first inauguration, when his team struggled to attract stars. In a sign of America’s deep political divide, there is backlash against Underwood and The Village People. The disco group said in a Facebook post that “we know this may not make some of you happy to hear, however, we believe that the music will be performed without regard to politics”.