Star-studded events to mark Obama inauguration

The historic inauguration of Barack Obama, the first black-American president of the US, will be celebrated in a number of events featuring the virtual who's who of the entertainment and glamour world.

Beyonce Knowles, Jon Bon Jovi, U2's Bono, Shakira, Stevie Wonder and Bruce Springsteen will perform at a free-for-public concert at the iconic Lincoln Memorial here today, which will be attended by the president-elect himself, who has reached here after a train ride from Philadelphia.

Jamie Foxx, Martin Luther King III, Queen Latifah and Denzel Washington will take the stage to deliver historical readings at We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration.

Executive producer of the event George Stevens Jr said the intention is "to root the event in history, celebratingm the moments when our nation has united to face great challenges and prevail."

Don Mischer, who directed the opening ceremony of the 1996 Olympics, is directing the event.

"We will have the statue of Abraham Lincoln looking down on our stage and a crowd of hundreds of thousands of people lining the mall -- a tableau any director would relish," he was quoted as saying by the CNN.

Another big event for children, dubbed Kids' Inaugural: We Are The Future are planned to be held in the Verizon Center here tomorrow, featuring musical performers like the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato.