Thousands of National Guard troops will be in the capital this week
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Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez will attempt to lighten the mood at an unprecedented presidential inauguration inside a new "Green Zone" in Washington.
The national anthem will be sung by Lady Gaga as Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are sworn in on the West Front of the US Capitol, and Lopez will also perform.
As Hollywood stars flocked to be part of swearing in a Democrat president Tom Hanks will host a 90-minute TV special featuring celebrities including Justin Timberlake, and a "virtual parade" around America.
It will be an attempt by Mr Biden’s team to distract from the massive security operation surrounding the event.
Usually, hundreds of thousands of people flood on to the National Mall in front of Congress for an inauguration.
But, in the wake of the riots on Jan 6, a new "Green Zone" has been established with much of Washington closed off behind giant fences.
Inauguration like no other
A secret service spokesman said: "Vehicle traffic is restricted to residents or businesses within the restricted area, and National Guard personnel will be assisting with verifying traffic entering into the Green Zone."
Up to 25,000 National Guard soldiers were being deployed, five times the combined current total of US forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.
US Capitol Police said they arrested a man at a checkpoint in Washington on Saturday after he presented an "unauthorised inauguration credential" and was found to have a semi-automatic pistol and over 500 rounds of ammunition in his truck. The man from Virginia was arrested for possession of an unregistered firearm, police said.
Amid warnings of potential attacks by armed extremists the National Park Service said only a small number of permits had been granted for protests in the capital. Muriel Bowser, Washington’s Democrat mayor, urged people to stay at home.
US government aircraft will be carrying out surveillance overhead. For the first time since 1949 there will be no inaugural balls.
Meanwhile, it emerged that three days before Jan 6 US Capitol Police, who guard the building, circulated an internal intelligence warning that it could be attacked by supporters of the president.
Some Republicans questioned Mr Biden’s decision to have a star-studded event. Eric Dezenhall, a former official in the Ronald Reagan administration, said: "If you’re a Biden supporter it’s nice to see Lady Gaga perform.
"[But] what rallied Trump supporters was the notion of an uber-elite that had nothing to do at all with them and that they couldn’t relate to."
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