Vande Mataram to open ceremony before national anthem for ‘first time’ this Independence Day at Red Fort

Vande Mataram will be sung from the Red Fort ramparts during India’s 80th Independence Day celebrations on August 15, 2026. Know why the national song is being included, what the ceremony will look like and its historical significance.

New Delhi: For nearly eight decades, the Red Fort has been the stage from which independent India has heard its Prime Ministers speak to the nation. This Independence Day, however, another voice from the freedom struggle will take centre stage. On August 15, 2026, ‘Vande Mataram’ will be sung from the ramparts of the historic monument for the first time as part of the official Independence Day ceremony – a move timed with the 150th anniversary celebrations of the iconic national song.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead India’s 80th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort. According to Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, ‘Vande Mataram’ will be performed immediately after the Prime Minister arrives at the ramparts. The national flag will then be unfurled, followed by the national anthem, ‘Jana Gana Mana’.

Why ‘Vande Mataram’ at Red Fort is significant

The decision comes as India marks 150 years of ‘Vande Mataram’, composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1875. The song first appeared in the literary journal Bangadarshan and later became........

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