In a first, Vande Mataram will be played at the upcoming 80th Independence Day on August 15 this yearFollowing this, the national anthem will be played as the country also commemorates 150 years of the national song
Published: August 13, 2026, 10:30 PM IST
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School students sit in a formation spelling out ‘Vande Mataram’ during the full-dress rehearsal for Independence Day near the Red Fort in New DelhiPTI
‘Vande Mataram’ will be performed at the Red Fort complex during this year’s Independence Day celebrations on August 15, marking a first for the eventThe National Anthem will be played afterwards as the country also commemorates 150 years of the National Song and celebrates the contribution of young Indians to the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the 80th Independence Day celebrations at the Red FortUpon his arrival at the Red Fort, he will be received by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, his deputy Sanjay Seth and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar SinghThe defence secretary will introduce the General Officer Commanding (GOC), Delhi Area, Lt Gen Rajesh Sethi, to the prime minister.
The GoC will then conduct the Prime Minister to the saluting base where a combined Inter-Services and Delhi Police Guard will present a general salute to PM ModiThereafter, the prime minister will inspect the guard of honour, the ministry said in a statementThe Guard of Honour contingent for the prime minister will consist of one officer and 24 personnel each from the Army, Navy, Air Force and the Delhi Police.
A full-dress rehearsal was held at Red Fort on ThursdayThe Indian Army is the coordinating service for the Independence Day celebrations this yearThe guard of honour will be commanded by Lt Col Arjun SinghThe Army contingent in the Prime Minister’s Guard will be commanded by Maj Aditya Sharma, the naval contingent by Lt Cdr Neelam Rana and the Air Force contingent by Sqn Ldr Vipin KumarThe Delhi Police contingent will be commanded by Additional DCP Vineet Kumar, it said.
After inspecting the guard of honour, the prime minister will proceed to the ramparts of the Red FortThe GOC, Delhi Area, will conduct the prime minister to the dais on the ramparts to hoist the national flag“Capt Sonia Singh Chauhan will assist the prime minister in hoisting the national flagIt will be synchronised with the 21-gun salute by the valiant gunners of the 1721 Field Battery (Ceremonial),” the statement saidThe ceremonial battery, utilising the indigenous 105mm Light Field Guns, will be commanded by Maj Pawan Singh Shekhawat and the gun position officer will be Naib Subedar (Assistant Instructor in Gunnery) Anuthosh Sarkar.
“The National Flag Guard, comprising one officer and 32 other ranks each from the Army, Navy and Air Force and Delhi Police, will present the Rashtriya Salute at the time of hoisting of the national flag by the prime ministerMaj Lokendra Singh Shekhawat will be in command of this Inter-Services Guard and Police Guard,” the ministry saidAfter being hoisted, the tricolour will receive a ‘Rashtriya Salute’.
“The Army band, consisting of one JCO and 25 other ranks, will play the tune of ‘Vande Mataram’ and the National Song will be sung by everyone present at Red FortIt will be followed by the recitation of the National AnthemThe band will be conducted by Subedar Ishwar Singh,” it saidAs soon as the national flag is hoisted by the prime minister, flower petals will be showered at the venue by two Mi-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force — one trooping the national flag and the other carrying a flag depicting ‘Vande Mataram’The captains of the helicopters will be Wg Cdr Rajat and Sqn Ldr Ankit Varshney, the statement said.
After the showering of flower petals, the prime minister will address the nationAt the conclusion of his speech, 2,500 National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets and My Bharat volunteers will sing the National Song, ‘Vande Mataram’, followed by the National AnthemThe NCC cadets and My Bharat volunteers will be seated on Gyanpath, opposite the ramparts, forming the words ‘Vande Mataram’View cutters depicting the theme ‘Viksit Bharat @2047’ will be installed at Gyanpath.
For the first time, ‘Vande Mataram’ will be rendered during the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort, the ministry saidNearly 5,000 special guests from different walks of life have been invited to witness the celebrations at the Red Fort this yearThey include International Yoga Day volunteers, women entrepreneurs under PM Mudra Yojana, best performing MY Bharat volunteers, best-performing beneficiaries of PMAY(U) and street vendors under PM SVANidhi, among others.
Over 1,500 people from various states and Union Territories, dressed in traditional Indian attire, have also been invited to witness the grand ceremony, it saidAlso, to promote patriotic fervour among citizens, a number of band performances are being held at 343 prominent locations across the country, the ministry said.
The performances are being carried out by the bands of Army, Navy, Air Force, Indian Coast Guard, NCC, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Border Security Force (BSF), Integrated Defence Staff (IDS), Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Assam RiflesEntry to these band performance venues is open to the public, the statement saidBesides, flag hoisting will be carried out by the Indian Navy and local administration in Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep, it said.
