London

Bye George
January 19
The fun starts the night before with this razor-sharp night of nostalgia.The great and good of British comedy gather to pay their, erm, respects to the outgoing US administration, saving the best jokes for the man who will go down as the most mocked president in history. Performers include Rory Bremner, Mark Thomas, Marcus Brigstocke and Shappi Khorsandi.
Bye George, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, SE1 8XX (08716 632500/www.southbankcentre.co.uk). Waterloo tube/rail.
7.30pm, £20.

Democrats Abroad Inauguration Ball
January 20
Party in true Yankee style at this glam hotel bash which aims to mark this historic moment in serious style. There are cocktails, dinner, a live band and video highlights of the inauguration. Yes you have to wear black tie, and the after-dinner tickets are sold out so you have to fork out a weighty £100, but what price history?
Democrats Abroad UK Inaugural Ball, Royal Lancaster Hotel, Lancaster Terrace, W2 2TY (7262 6737/www.royallancaster.com). Lancaster Gate tube. 7pm-1am, £100. Feature continues

Obama Inauguration Party
January 20
This Quintessentially Events and Chicago Rib Shack bash is the pick of the diner-based parties, with the ticket price covering everything from party food and free beer to live music and, not forgetting, highlights from the historic event. Expect a crowd of emotional expats.
Barack Obama Inauguration Party, Chicago Rib Shack, 145 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7PA (7758 3300/www.thechicagoribshack.co.uk). 4-10pm, £60, Knightsbridge tube.

Madame Tussauds
January 20
American tourists (or anyone in possession of ‘valid documentation’) will be given free entry to this ever-popular attraction on January 20. The aim is to celebrate the unveiling of their new Obama figure, as well as the inauguration of the real one, of course. That’s an impressive saving of £12.23 – not to be sniffed at in these credit-crunched times.
Madame Tussauds, Marylebone Road, NW1 5LR (0870 999 0046/www.madametussauds.com). Baker Street tube. 9.30am-5.30pm, free.

20109 Change
January 20
This Dome-based Obama-fest boasts a live video link-up to Washington and other celebrations around the globe. Hosting the event are award-winning comedian Eddie Kadi and musician Patrick Alan. Musical entertainment comes courtesy of housewives' favourite Lemar, chart toppers NDubz, 2008 MOBO Award-winner YolanDa Brown, Brit-reggae starlet Ava Leigh and the uplifting London Community Gospel Choir. DJs will keep the party alive between acts and a fashion show is also promised.
20109 Change, Indig02, Peninsula Square, SE10 0DX (www.theo2.co.uk/0844 856 0202). North Greenwich tube. £18.50.

Inauguration Ball with John Sinclair
January 20
Hackney's boho denizens will gather at this Stokey arts venue to hear spoken word from civil rights activist, '60s rock band manager and beatnik poet John Sinclair. Live jazz and blues from Elliot Levin & The Kickback Band will follow. Sinclair shot to fame back in 1967 when he incurred a ten-year prison sentence for selling two joints to an undercover cop. John Lennon led the campaign for his release, penning the song 'John Sinclair' and playing a benefit gig.
Inauguration Ball, Café Oto, 18 Ashwin St, E8 3DL (www.cafeoto.co.uk). Dalston Kingsland rail. 8pm-midnight, £7.

Iroko Gastro Bar and Grill
January 20
This newly established, hyper glamorous African-themed lounge bar is hosting a special ‘Yes We Can’ party. On the menu is a sophisticated mixture of cocktails, guest speakers, video highlights of the inauguration and free bubbly for the first 200 guests.
Iroko Gastro Bar and Grill, 226-228 Brixton Hill, SW2 1HE (07728 667 820/www.irokobar.com). Brixton tube/rail. £10-£15.

Yates's Wine Bar

Yates's Wine Bar
January 20
It might not be the most glam of locations but this party actually looks quite promising. Doors open at 4pm, so you can watch Obama’s inauguration speech on widescreen TV at 5pm with a glass of Champagne in hand. There are prize draws, presidential quizzes and an invitation from Yates’s to stay and dance the night away. The restaurant is open as usual if all the excitement, or drinking, puts you in the mood for burger and chips.
Yates’s Wine Bar, 30 Leicester Square, WC2H 7JZ (0797 456 9299/www.progressive-vision.org/Inauguration). Leicester Square tube. 4pm until late, £10-£15.

Hard Rock Café
January 20
Under red, white and blue decor so convincing it’ll be like dining wrapped in the American flag, the Hard Rock offers a fun party atmosphere for eating and celebrating, plus a little looky-likey surprise for its lucky patrons... The inauguration will be shown live on the lower ground floor from 4.30pm, although booking is strongly recommended.
Hard Rock Café, 150 Old Park Lane, W1K 1QZ (7514 1700/www.hardrock.com). Hyde Park Corner/Green Park tube. 4.30pm, prices vary.

Smollensky's on the Strand
January 20
Another classic American diner jumps on the Barack bandwagon, with this family-friendly eatery hosting a live screening of the forty-fourth President’s first official bon mots. Toast the future, change and all that jazz with one of their top-notch cocktails or authentic milkshakes. Just be careful you don’t find yourself slurping loudly at the crucial moment.
Smollensky's on the Strand, 105 Strand, WC2R 0AA (7497 2101/www.smollenskys.co.uk). Charing Cross tube/rail. 4pm.

The Fiesta Bar
January 20
This vibrant Latino bar is celebrating the advent of change in flamboyant fashion with an action-packed party featuring meal giveaways, happy hour (starting at 5pm naturally), photo shoots with the ‘big man’, raffles, comedy acts and DJs. Don’t forget to wear red, white and blue.
The Fiesta Bar, 30 Acre Lane, SW2 5SG (07523 044742/www.fiestabar.co.uk). Brixton tube/rail. 4pm-midnight, £5-£8.

TGI Fridays
January 20
They might not be your diner of choice but they are making a noteworthy effort on the big day. Ambitiously labeled ‘world’s largest inauguration party’, their goal is to host a huge simultaneous party in all their branches both in the UK and the USA. Their flagship Haymarket branch will lead the celebrations with a screening from Washington and authentic American cocktails. At 9pm a UK-wide toast will be made with a brand new inauguration cocktail.
TGI Fridays, 25-29 Coventry Street, W1V 7FG (7839 6262/www.tgifridays.co.uk). Piccadilly Circus tube.

Prohibition
January 20
This upmarket North American joint joins in the fun with a collection of wallet-friendly offers to help us all feel more positive. Get in the swing with their half-price cocktails (the Long Island Ice tea is a favourite of ours), before lining your stomach with a hearty plate of Chicago ribs and fries (£8.95).
Prohibition, Unit 1 Tower Bridge House, St Katharine's Dock, East Smithfield, E1W 1AA (7702 4210/www.prohibition.uk.com). Tower Hill tube or Tower Gateway DLR.

In your own home
If none of these exciting events can persuade you to venture out, or you’re just skint, why not spend the evening on the sofa. There’s Obamamania on most major channels – Sky News 4.30-9pm, BBC1 4-6pm, CNN noon-midnight. There’s also Clive Myrie tracing the big man’s life story in the imaginatively titled ‘Obama: His Story’ and the, hopefully, more amusing ‘Outtakes: US Presidents’ on BBC3 at 9pm.