NPR will be the only radio broadcaster of the concert "We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration," the star-studded kickoff of official inaugural festivities, starting at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 18. The event, which is free and open to the public at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., will be broadcast by NPR to public radio stations nationwide, and will be available as a simultaneous stream at the Web sites of many stations. Find your local station for more information: visit npr.org/stations.
The lineup of performers mixes some of today's biggest pop stars with iconic musical luminaries. Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen, Herbie Hancock, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Wonder and many more artists are all scheduled to appear on stage (a full list appears to the left). In addition, an assembly of leading actors will read historical passages throughout the special.
According to the Presidential Inaugural Committee, "The Sunday afternoon performance will be grounded in history and brought to life with entertainment that relates to the themes that shaped Barack Obama and which will be the hallmarks of his administration." The concert portion will start around 2:30 p.m. At the end of the performance, President-Elect Obama will address the crowd.
NPR's Lisa Simeone will anchor the 3-hour broadcast. Pulitzer Prize-winning music critic Tim Page will also be on hand to preview the music at President-Elect Obama's inaugural ball.
Note: This concert will not be archived on NPR.org.
