New Delhi: Vande Mataram, the national song will be sung from the ramparts of the Red Fort for the first time during the 80th Independence Day celebrations on August 15. The prime minister, Narendra Modi, will unfurl the national flag and address the nation, with this year’s programme also centred on Yuva Shakti and the government’s Viksit Bharat 2047 theme.
The defence secretary, Rajesh Kumar Singh, announced the programme during a media briefing in New Delhi on Monday. Vande Mataram will be sung when the prime minister arrives at the Red Fort, followed by the flag unfurling and his address.
Around 2,500 NCC cadets and My Bharat volunteers will form a “वंदे मातरम्” (Vande Mataram)formation on Gyanpath opposite the Red Fort. The song will also be performed by Service bands, followed by the National Anthem after the prime minister’s address.
An Indian Air Force Mi-17 helicopter will carry the National Flag and a banner marking 150 years of ‘Vande Mataram’ during the ceremony. It will also shower flower petals over the gathering at the Red Fort.
Bands to perform at 343 locations
Bands of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, NCC, CRPF, ITBP, CISF, SSB, BSF, Integrated Defence Staff, RPF and Assam Rifles will perform at 343 locations between August 8 and 15. The performances will be open to the public.
5,000 special guests invited
Around 5,000 special guests have been invited for the Independence Day ceremony, including 19 Indian students who won medals at the 2026 International Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics Olympiads. The list also includes young innovators, Prime Minister Internship Scheme interns, startup representatives, PM Kaushal Vikas Yojana trainees and My Bharat volunteers.
Women entrepreneurs under the PM Mudra Yojana, PMAY-U beneficiaries, scientists, Bharat Taxi drivers, PM Surya Ghar beneficiaries, PM Vishwakarma artisans, farmers and PM-SYM beneficiaries will also attend. Street vendors under PM SVANidhi, sanitation workers, Delhi Metro employees, Central Vista workers and government hospital staff have also been invited.
More than 1,500 people from Delhi representing different States and Union Territories will attend the ceremony in traditional attire. Around 600 winners of quizzes, essay and painting competitions organized ahead of Independence Day will also be present.
The competitions covered subjects including AI and Viksit Bharat 2047, India’s development between 1947 and 2047, constitutional rights and duties, women in the freedom movement, space technology and nuclear technology.
Security tightened around Red Fort
Around 15,000 to 20,000 Delhi Police personnel have been deployed around the Red Fort and along designated VIP routes, along with personnel from the Rapid Action Force and BSF. Security preparations began around two months ago, with police teams mapping houses and businesses in North and Central Delhi near the venue and VIP routes.
The deployment was strengthened after the Delhi Police received a fake bomb threat email last week. The source of the email has not yet been traced, while police are monitoring social media for possible threats.
More than 1,000 CCTV, stationary, number-plate recognition and AI-enabled cameras will monitor the Red Fort area. Some personnel will also use body-worn cameras during the ceremony.
Three vans fitted with facial recognition system and 360-degree cameras will provide live feeds and match images with criminal databases. Police have also started using the Abhigyan application, linked to the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System, to identify people with criminal antecedents.
The Red Fort area has been declared a no-drone zone, with anti-drone systems deployed to detect aerial activity. Additional security personnel and vehicles have also been deployed at Delhi University ahead of the Independence Day celebrations and student union elections.
Delhi Metro services from 4am
Delhi Metro services will begin at 4am on August 15, with free travel available to invitees using the QR codes issued with their e-invitations. Twenty-five cloakrooms have been set up at six locations, while 200 My Bharat and NCC volunteers will assist visitors.
Traffic restrictions will be visible on Google Maps and Mappls on the day of the ceremony. Rain ponchos will also be provided at Madhav Das Park and August 15 Park, while drainage and sewage systems around the Red Fort are being cleaned ahead of the event.
The seating enclosures at the Red Fort have been named after major lakes of India this year. During the Republic Day celebrations earlier this year, the enclosures were named after rivers.
Clean-up drive after ceremony
NCC cadets and My Bharat volunteers will carry out a Swachhata drive at the Red Fort after the ceremony. The volunteers will undertake plogging and remove garbage left behind after the spectators disperse.
The invitation card for this year’s ceremony carries the theme of ‘Seva Teerth’ and features the Dharm Chakra. The card theme focuses on duty and selfless service.