'Vande Mataram' to be sung from Red Fort ramparts for the first time on 80th Independence Day

India’s 80th Independence Day celebrations at the historic Red Fort on August 15 will mark 150 years of ‘Vande Mataram’, with the national song set to be sung from the monument’s ramparts for the first time, the Ministry of Defence said on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the celebrations, unfurl the National Flag and deliver his customary address to the nation from the Red Fort.

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, addressing a press conference in New Delhi, said this year’s celebrations would commemorate 150 years of ‘Vande Mataram’ and recognise the contribution of India’s youth under the theme of ‘Yuva Shakti’ towards achieving the goal of a Viksit Bharat by 2047. ‘Vande Mataram’, which played a significant role in India’s freedom movement, will be sung from the ramparts of the Red Fort for the first time. The rendition will take place upon the Prime Minister’s arrival at the monument, before the unfurling of the National Flag and his address to the nation.

Vande Mataram to take centre stage

The celebrations will feature several elements commemorating the 150-year legacy of ‘Vande Mataram’. Floral decorations at the venue will showcase the national song, while around 2,500 boys and girls from the National Cadet Corps and MY Bharat will form the words ‘Vande Mataram’ on Gyanpath opposite the ramparts. An Indian Air Force Mi-17 helicopter will carry a banner commemorating 150 years of ‘Vande Mataram’ and shower flower petals over those gathered at the Red Fort.

Military band performances are also being organised across the country as part of the commemorations. Bands from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Indian Coast Guard, NCC, CRPF, ITBP, CISF, SSB, BSF, Integrated Defence Staff, Railway Protection Force and Assam Rifles are performing at 343 prominent locations between August 8 and August 15. The venues have been opened to the public as part of efforts to encourage wider participation in the Independence Day celebrations. The programme at the Red Fort will also highlight India’s progress in nuclear and space technology, while floral decorations at the Guard of Honour area will depict the country’s journey towards the Viksit Bharat 2047 goal.

Yuva Shakti in spotlight

A major focus of this year’s celebrations will be ‘Yuva Shakti’, recognising achievements by young Indians in science, innovation, entrepreneurship, skills and other fields. Nineteen medal-winning Indian students from the 2026 International Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematical Olympiads have been invited to attend the ceremony and will be seated on the ramparts. Around 5,000 special guests from different walks of life have been invited to witness the Independence Day celebrations. The invitees include youth innovators under national innovation programmes, top interns under the Prime Minister Internship Scheme, representatives of high-performing startups, young people trained under the PM Kaushal Vikas Yojana and MY Bharat volunteers.

Beneficiaries of government initiatives, students of Delhi government schools selected through various quizzes and competitions, entrepreneurs, innovators and grassroots workers contributing towards the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision have also been invited. The seating enclosures at the Red Fort have this year been named after major lakes of India. During the Republic Day celebrations earlier this year, the enclosures had been named after rivers as part of an initiative to move away from conventional VIP nomenclature and highlight water conservation. Authorities have also undertaken drainage and sewage cleaning in and around the Red Fort in view of the possibility of rainfall during the Independence Day ceremony.

The 80th Independence Day celebrations will thus combine the commemoration of the 150-year legacy of ‘Vande Mataram’ with a focus on India’s young population and its role in the country’s development ambitions for 2047.