Nearly 2,500 artistes rehearsed their segments on January 24, 2026, at Kartavya Path for the 77th Republic Day parade. Officials confirmed that a full dress rehearsal was held to prepare for the big event on January 26. The main theme of the parade is ‘150 years of Vande Mataram’ and the program will last about 90 minutes. A special rehearsal for the flypast was also done on Saturday. The flypast will feature 29 aircraft in all, including 16 fighter jets such as Rafale, Su-30 MKI, and Jaguar, four transport aircraft including C-295, and nine helicopters. This will happen in two phases with eight formations, a senior Indian Air Force official said. The previous day’s rehearsal on January 23 saw delays due to rain. Some parts of the cultural performance and the flypast could not be completed because of bad weather. The cultural program shows India’s diverse dance forms, with nearly 2,500 artistes. ‘‘A group of artistes will herald the parade,’’ said a senior official, referring to the colorful display that was rehearsed on Friday. The broader theme combines ‘Swatantra Ka Mantra (freedom’s chant) - Vande Mataram’ and ‘Samriddhi Ka Mantra (prosperity’s chant) - Viksit Bharat (developed India)’. The creative team includes music director M.M. Keeravani, lyricist Subhash Sehgal, narrator Anupam Kher, and choreographer Santosh Nair, all guided by director Sandhya Purecha. Costumes and designs were created by Sandhya Raman. Saturday’s rehearsal completes the preparations. All eyes will be on Kartavya Path on January 26 when the parade and flypast light up the sky.