On January 20, President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will take their oaths of office on a stage that was ransacked by a pro-Trump mob. Biden will officially become the 46th president with law enforcement on the highest alert possible, amid a pandemic that has torpedoed most traditional events.

“I know a lot of people in D.C. are interested in knowing where they can go to attend,” says Matt Hill, senior spokesperson for Biden’s Presidential Inaugural Committee. “But we have to do our best to communicate that we want them really to stay home.”

With a mix of in-person and virtual events planned, here’s what we know about the 59th presidential inauguration so far.

Who can attend this year?

In a typical year, Congress would receive more than 200,000 tickets to distribute among its constituents, and non-ticketed folks would be encouraged to watch the events from the National Mall. But with this year’s restrictions in place, the inauguration will be reserved to members of Congress and a single guest each. Commemorative ticket bundles and program packets will be given to congressmembers to distribute instead. The expected audience of just over 1,000 guests — and only a few hundred on the swearing-in stage — will be similar to those seen at State of the Union addresses, according to organizers.

It’s unclear exactly how many people are expected to arrive in the nation’s capital, despite warnings to stay home, but the number will be nowhere near previous crowd sizes. (Barack Obama’s inaugural events drew more than 1 million attendees; Donald Trump’s 2017 inauguration drew upwards of 300,000 people.)

What are the scheduled events?

The day before the inauguration, the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies is hosting a memorial to remember and honor Americans lost to COVID-19 on Jan. 19, at 5:30 p.m. The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool will be lit, and Biden’s team is encouraging cities and towns across the U.S. to illuminate their buildings and ring church bells during the memorial. Wilton Gregory, Washington’s archbishop and the first African American to be named a Cardinal, will deliver the invocation, followed by a performance of “Hallelujah” by renowned gospel singer Yolanda Adams.

On January 20, the swearing-in ceremony will go on, starting around 11 a.m. EST, at the steps in front of the west side of the Capitol building. While getting his second dose of the vaccine, Biden told reporters that he is “not afraid” to take the oath of office outside. The theme for the swearing in is “Our Determined Democracy: Forging a More Perfect Union,” and the event will be televised and livestreamed on the committee’s website, YouTube, and Twitch.

Father Leo J. O’Donovan will deliver the invocation, Andrea Hall will recite the pledge of allegiance and Lady Gaga will sing the national anthem. That’s followed by a poetry reading by Amanda Gorman, a musical performance by Jennifer Lopez, and Rev. Dr. Silvester Beaman will give a benediction.

Following the swearing-in ceremony, Biden and Harris, along with First Lady Jill Biden and First Gentleman Doug Emhoff, will do a socially-distant Pass in Review on the east front of the Capitol. The historic tradition involves a procession of every branch of the military to represent a peaceful transfer of power to the new commander-in-chief. Biden and Harris will then head to a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. Barack and Michelle Obama, George W. and Laura Bush, and Bill and Hillary Clinton will attend the event, one of Biden’s first acts as commander-in-chief.

Forgoing the traditional inaugural parade, the military will provide a presidential escort along 15th Street to the White House. Organizers said in a statement that the event will provide “the American people and world with historic images of the President-elect proceeding to the White House without attracting large crowds and gatherings.” The University of Delaware and Howard University drumlines will join the escort, representing Biden and Harris’s alma maters.

At 3:15 p.m. EST, a “Virtual Parade Across America” will be televised and live-streamed to highlight voices from people across the country, similar to the Democratic National Convention programming. Starting at 8 p.m., Tom Hanks will host the 90-minute program, with performances by artists like John Legend, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Justin Timberlake, Bruce Springsteen, and Jon Bon Jovi. Chef José Andrés will make an appearance, joining a guest list that includes healthcare workers, teachers, and other essential workers.

Biden’s team has also installed a field of more than 191,000 U.S. flags and 56 pillars of light across the National Mall from 3rd to 13th Street NW. The field of flags symbolizes the people who can’t travel to the ceremonies and the PIC’s “commitment to an inclusive and safe event.”

A specific timeline for the events hasn’t been released yet, but organizers say more details are coming this week.

Will there be any inaugural balls?

In a normal year, the newly-elected president attends anywhere from two to 10 balls. So far, only three celebratory events have been announced, all with the purpose of “celebrating America’s diversity,” per a release. From 7 to 10:30 p.m., the PIC will host virtual inaugural balls celebrating the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities; the Black communities and African diaspora; and Latino communities of America.

South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, co-chair of Biden’s inaugural committee, said that a majority of the in-person celebrations won’t happen in-person until at least the summer.

“[We’ll] have this president at that time, President Joe Biden, celebrate his ascendance into the presidency during the July 4th celebration down at the Mall,” he told CNN. “Hopefully things will be under control then, vaccines will be widespread, people will have gotten beyond this pandemic and we can go back to some modicum of normalcy and have a big celebration of Joe Biden’s presidency.”

Will Trump be there?

No. President Donald Trump tweeted, just days after the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol fueled by his rhetoric, that he will not attend. It’s a first — no sitting president has skipped the main event in more than a century and a half. Vice President Mike Pence has said that he plans to attend.

What permits have been filed for demonstrations?

In a rare, if not unprecedented move, Mayor Bowser has asked the secretary of the Department of the Interior deny or cancel all permit applications for demonstrations through Jan. 24. That request has not yet been granted. 

Jeffrey Reinbold, superintendent of National Mall and Memorial Parks, said only the U.S. Navy Memorial and John Marshall Park areas along Pennsylvania Avenue will be reserved for First Amendment activities — with a limit of 100 attendees each, all of whom will all be screened and escorted by officers. There will be no demonstrations taking place inside the secure area, according to the National Park Service.

A group called “DC Action Lab,” which is affiliated in donation records with the Women’s March, MoveOn.org, and the Democratic National Committee, requested a permit for a “Free speech demonstration against the inauguration” at sites across D.C. An NPS spokesperson said that because the group’s setup included a Jumbotron, which isn’t permitted in the secured demonstration area, they agreed to protest in Columbus Circle near Union Station instead.

The Answer Coalition applied for a permit with an unlisted number of people to demand “urgent action to save the environment, end war & militarism,” but withdrew that application as of Tuesday, Jan. 19, according to an NPS spokesperson.

Mike Litterst, spokesperson for the National Parks Service, said the pro-Trump Eighty Percent Coalition withdrew an application for a pre-inauguration demonstration slated for Jan. 16. On January 19, the application submitted by Let America Hear Us, Roar for Trump, was cancelled after the applicant failed to return communications from NPS, according to a spokesperson.

D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department has not approved any permits, according to MPD spokesperson Kristen Metzger.

How likely is it that there will be more violence, riots, and unsanctioned protests?

Immediately following the Capitol insurrection, extremist groups increased calls on social media for an armed march on Capitol Hill on the Sunday before the inauguration.

Pro-Trump groups are circulating flyers for anti-government rallies in D.C. ahead of and on Inauguration Day. The FBI has reportedly warned that armed groups will protest at capitols in all 50 states — one FBI bulletin specifically mentioned that an armed group is planning to storm state and federal government buildings in a “huge uprising” if Congress attempts to remove Trump from office.

After D.C. neighborhoods saw Trump supporters staying as Airbnb guests during the Capitol insurrection, local activists groups and residents are pressuring local hosts to remove their listings the week of the inauguration. (For its part, Airbnb has said it will try to restrict rioters from returning to D.C. during the inauguration.)

What is Mayor Muriel Bowser saying ahead of inauguration? 

Bowser and other local leaders are pleading with the public not to attend and urging federal authorities to reboot their approach to security.

She wrote in a letter to the Department of Homeland Security that “we are extremely concerned” about the upcoming inauguration, which she says “will require a very different approach than previous inaugurations.”

The mayor asked the department to extend the National Special Security Event period overseen by the Secret Service to cover a two-week stretch rather than the current period from Jan. 19-21. This, Bowser says, will allow for better planning. She says she’s asking for a pre-disaster declaration to help speed up federal assistance.

Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf is granting Bowser’s request, at least in part — the National Special Security Event began Jan. 13, six days ahead of schedule.

How is law enforcement preparing for Inauguration Day?

Since Jan. 6, workers have erected 7-foot-tall fencing around the U.S. Capitol, where it will remain for 30 days at least. Acting Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert Contee says there will be upwards of 20,000 National Guard troops in the city, and hundreds are already sleeping on the marble floors of the Capitol.

D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department says “all MPD members will be fully activated now through the Inauguration.” A spokesperson for the U.S. Capitol Police did not respond to a DCist/WAMU request for detail on preparations.

There will be no tours of the Washington Monument through Jan. 24, according to the National Park Service. It announced the temporary closure Monday, saying, “groups involved in the January 6, 2021 riots at the US Capitol continue to threaten to disrupt” inaugural events.

Biden recently told the press, “I have great confidence in the Secret Service. I have great confidence in their ability to make sure that the the inauguration goes off, goes off safely, and goes off without a hitch.”

What about traffic and road closures?

The National Mall is closed off through at least Jan. 21, due to “real and substantially likely threats to visitors and park resources.”

A massive section of the downtown area is closed off, from Dupont Circle to the Capitol Hill, with bridges closed from Virginia to D.C. until after the inauguration. Residents, tenants, and workers can enter the area until Saturday, but will need a valid ID and proof of reason for entry (i.e. essential work papers). By Monday, three people had already been arrested at checkpoints in D.C. for various charges, including gun possession and impersonating law enforcement.

On-street parking will be prohibited in the restricted areas. Parking garages in the area will close Friday, Jan. 15 at 6 a.m., and cars left in the zone will have to remain until after the inauguration. Residents can also expect 13 Metro stations to close and prepare for other changes in service. Starting Friday, these stations will close:

• Red Line: Farragut North, Judiciary Square, Union Station
• Yellow/Green Lines: Archives
• Blue Line: Arlington Cemetery
• Blue/Orange/Silver Lines: Farragut West, McPherson Square, Federal Center SW, Capitol South, Smithsonian, Federal Triangle

A D.C. police spokesperson said the U.S. Secret Service is the lead agency for inauguration security and will have the last say on road closures, but MPD will advise which roads should be closed. Bowser said locals should text INAUG2021 to 888-777 or check the city’s inauguration website for transportation updates ahead of Inauguration Day.

Jordan Pascale contributed reporting to this post. This post has been updated with additional information.