Beating Retreat 2025

Event

Beating Retreat is a ceremony that marks the end of Republic Day festivities in India. It is held on the evening of January 29, three days after Republic Day, at the Vijay Chowk, New Delhi. The ceremony features a musical performance by the bands of the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force, Delhi Police, and the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF). The ceremony is presided over by the President of India, who is the supreme commander of the Armed Forces. The beating retreat ceremony in India was first held in 1950s, during the state visit of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Since then, the ceremony has become an annual event to pay tribute to the valour and sacrifice of the Indian Armed Forces1.