Village People have addressed their upcoming performance at Donald Trump‘s inauguration as President of the United States – see what they had to say below.

Yesterday (January 13), Village People announced that they will be performing at Trump’s inauguration in Washington, DC on January 20, 2025. Also performing at the ceremony is Grammy-winning singer Carrie Underwood.

According to the Associated Press, other performers billed to appear at the inauguration include Trump-favourites country singer Lee Greenwood and opera singer Christopher Macchio.

While announcing their participation in the inauguration ceremony, Village People addressed their decision on Facebook. They wrote: “We are announcing today that VILLAGE PEOPLE have accepted an invitation from President Elect Trump’s campaign to participate in inaugural activities, including at least one event with President Elect Trump. We know this wont make some of you happy to hear however we believe that music is to be performed without regard to politics.”

The continued, alluding to favouriting Kamala Harris as President: “Our song ‘Y.M.C.A.’ is a global anthem that hopefully helps bring the country together after a tumultuous and divided campaign where our preferred candidate lost. Therefore, we believe it’s now time to bring the country together with music which is why VILLAGE PEOPLE will be performing at various events as part of the 2025 Inauguration of Donald J. Trump.”

TO VILLAGE PEOPLE FANS AND THE MEDIA.We are announcing today that VILLAGE PEOPLE have accepted an invitation from…

Posted by Village People on Monday, January 13, 2025

Leading up to Trump’s inauguration, he continually used two Village People songs during his election campaigns – both in 2020 and again last year – ‘Macho Man’ and ‘Y.M.C.A.’. Despite initially asking Trump not to use ‘Y.M.C.A.’ in 2020 after the President seemingly threatened to shoot Black Lives Matter protestors in Minneapolis, Village People frontman Victor Willis retracted his disapproval in 2021.

At the time, Willis revealed that the song had “benefited greatly from use by the President Elect”, citing its re-emergence on the Billboard charts at Number 1. “The financial benefits have been great as well as ‘Y.M.C.A.’ is estimated to gross several million dollars since the President Elect’s continued use of the song,” Willis explained. “Therefore, I’m glad I allowed the President Elect’s continued use of ‘Y.M.C.A.’ And I thank him for choosing to use my song.”

Willis has also continually denied that ‘Y.M.C.A.’ is a gay anthem. He said in December last year: “As I’ve said numerous times in the past, that is a false assumption based on the fact that my writing partner was gay, and some (not all) of Village People were gay, and that the first Village People album was totally about gay life.”

Trump’s 2017 inauguration featured performances from Rockettes, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and America’s Got Talent singer Jackie Evancho. Obama’s first inauguration in 2009 saw Aretha Franklin perform, while Beyonce and Kelly Clarkson sang at his second inauguration in 2013.

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