President-elect Donald Trump told supporters at the Lincoln Memorial Thursday night he would be cheering them on during his historic inauguration – and even predicted a 'beautiful day' despite a rainy forecast.

'I'm going to be cheering you on. You're going to cheer me on, but I'm going to cheer you on,' Trump told supporters who gathered for a pre-inaugural concert.

After defying predictions throughout his unpredictable campaign, Trump even promised a 'beautiful' swearing in when he takes the oath of office on the West Front of the Capitol Friday.

'So I’ll see you tomorrow and I don’t care frankly if it’s going to be beautiful or if it’s going to rain like crazy. Makes no difference to me,' Trump said.

'I have a feeling it’s going to be beautiful. But I will see you tomorrow.'

President-elect Donald Trump told supporters that at the inauguration Friday, 'You're going to cheer me on, but I'm going to cheer you on'

Last stop: The group then headed over to the Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration concert, which featured performances from 3 Doors Down and Toby Keith (Trumps arrive at the Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration concert)

Proud hubby: Melania received thunderous applause after her remarks at a GOP luncheon and got a kiss from Trump (Donald and Melania above at a GOP luncheon on Thursday afternoon)

He continued: 'What we’ve done is so special. All over the world they're talking about it. All over the world. And I love you folks, and we’re going to work together. And we are going to – Make America Great Again' he said, using his campaign slogan. 'And I’ll add: Greater than ever before.'

Trump's optimistic, credit-sharing speech had few hints of the contentious and angry battle for the White House, which featured attacks and counter-attacks on GOP opponents and Democrat Hillary Clinton.

He mentioned giving 'speech after speech,' hinting at his rigorous campaign schedule.

'We had tens of thousands of people ... we all knew that last month of the campaign, I think a lot of us knew the first week of the campaign, but that last month of the campaign we knew that something special was happening.'

Donald Trump and family attended a pre-inaugural celebration Washington D.C.

Trump told his followers: ''You're not forgotten anymore'

'I’m the messenger,' Trump told the crowd in comments carried on cable networks

TRUMP'S REMARKS AT THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL 'Thank you very much. Thank you very much everybody, and thank you Tom. I'd like to congratulate our incredible entertainers tonight. Toby, and Lee Greenwood and all of the great talent. It was really very special. I also have to thank our incredible military right here. Thank you. Stand up, please. You guys were really great. Thank you.' 'So this journey began 18 months ago. I had something to do with it, but you had much more to do with it than I did. I'm the messenger. I'm just the messenger. And we were tired. And I love you. Believe me, I love you. We all got tired of seeing what was happening. And we wanted change, but we wanted real change. And I look so forward to tomorrow. We're going to see something that is going to be so amazing. So many people have poured into Washington, D.C.' 'This started out tonight being a small little concert, and then we had the idea maybe we'll do it in front of the Lincoln Memorial. I don't know if it's ever been done before. But if it has, very seldom. And the people came by the thousands and thousands, and here we are tonight, all the way back. All the way back.' 'So it's a movement that began, it's a movement that started, and it's a movement like we’ve never seen anywhere in the world, they say. There's never been a movement like this and it's something very, very special. And we're going to unify our country, and our phrase – you all know it, half of you are wearing the hat – "Make America Great Again."' 'But we're going to make America great for all of our people, everybody. Everybody throughout our country. That includes the inner cities, that includes everybody. And we're going to do a special job, and I can only tell you that 18 months ago, we never knew, a lot of people didn't know, some people had a feeling.' 'A lot of people didn't give us much of a chance, but we understood what was happening. And that last month of the campaign, when I traveled around to every place that you can imagine. State after state after state, speech after speech. And we had ten thousand, twenty thousand, thirty thousand people. ' 'There was never an empty seat, just like tonight. We didn't know if anybody would even come tonight. This hasn't been done before. And you look. It was the same way. And we all knew that last month of the campaign. I think a lot of us knew the first week of the campaign, but that last month of the campaign we knew that something special was happening.' 'And I can only tell you this: The polls started going up, up, up, but they didn't want to give us credit. Because they forgot about a lot of us. On the campaign I called it "the forgotten man" and "the forgotten woman." Well, you're not forgotten anymore. That I can tell you. Not forgotten anymore.' 'So I want to thank my great family, my incredible wife Melania. They've been so supportive, and it wasn't easy for them. But they have been so supportive. I want to thank you, most importantly. And I promise you that I will work so hard. We're going to get it turned around. We're going to get our jobs back. We're not going to let other countries take our jobs any longer.' 'We're going to build up our great military. We're going to build it up. We're going to strengthen our borders. We're going to do things that haven't been done for our country for many, many decades. It's going to change. I promise you it's going to change.' 'So I'll see you tomorrow. And I don't care frankly if it's going to be beautiful or if it's going to rain like crazy. Makes no difference to me. I have a feeling it's going to be beautiful. But I will see you tomorrow, and I'm going to be cheering you on. You're going to cheer me on, but I'm going to be cheering you on. Because what we’ve done is so special.' 'All over the world they're talking about it. All over the world. And I love you folks, and we’re going to work together. And we are going to – make America great again. And I’ll add: Greater than ever before! Thank you very much and enjoy the fireworks. Thank you everybody. Thank you.' Advertisement

Then he revisited the horse race. 'And I can only tell you this: The polls started going up, up, up. But they didn't want to give us credit. Because they forgot about a lot of us,' Trump told the crowd.

'On the campaign I called it the forgotten man and the forgotten woman. Well, you're not forgotten anymore. That I can tell you. Not forgotten anymore,' he said.

He pledged: 'I promise you that I will work so hard. We’re gonna get it turned around. We’re going to get our jobs back. We’re not going to let other countries take our jobs any longer.'

'We’re going to build up our great military,' he said. 'W’ere going to build it up. We’re going to strengthen our borders. We’re going to do things that haven’t been done for our country for many, many decades. It’s going to change. I promise you it’s going to chance.'

In another flash of humility, Trump credited others with his win. 'I had something to do with it but you had much more to do with it than I did. I’m the messenger. I’m just the messenger. And we were tired, and I love you. Believe me, I love you.

'We all got tired of seeing what was happening. And we wanted change, but we wanted real change.'

Describing the concert, Trump said: 'This started out tonight being a small little concert, and then we had the idea maybe we'll do it in front of the Lincoln Memorial. I don't know if it's ever been done before. But if it has, very seldom,' Trump said.

In fact, a concert at the Lincoln has been done before – by predecessor Barack Obama in 2009.

Obama's concert had some additional star power, with performances by Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, Mary J. Blige, US, Pete Seeger, Stevie Wonder, Jon Bon Jovi, Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow, Renée Fleming, Herbie Hancock, Bettye Lavette, John Legend, John Mellencamp, Shakira, James Taylor, Usher, will.i.am, among others.

Trump continued: 'And the people came by the thousands and thousands, and here we are tonight, all the way back. All the way back.'

'So it's a movement that began, it's a movement that started, and it's a movement like we’ve never seen anywhere in the world, they say. There's never been a movement like this and it's something very, very special.'

After a fractious election and a post-election period that lead to stunning charges of Russian hacking and interference, Trump said: 'And we're going to unify our country, and our phrase – you all know it, half of you are wearing the hat – "Make America Great Again."

'But we're going to make America great for all of our people, everybody. Everybody throughout our country,' Trump said.

Turning to his critics, Trump said, 'A lot of people didn't give us much of a chance, but we understood what was happening.'

'And that last month of the campaign, when I traveled around to every place that you can imagine. State after state after state, speech after speech. And we had ten thousand, twenty thousand, thirty thousand people. There was never an empty seat, just like tonight,' said Trump – glossing over venues like the one in Little Rock, Arkansas, where there were 6,000 people in a half-full livestock arena.

'We didn't know if anybody would even come tonight. This hasn't been done before ... And we all knew that last month of the campaign. I think a lot of us knew the first week of the campaign, but that last month of the campaign we knew that something special was happening,' he said.

The festivities kicked off earlier on Thursday with a speech from Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight, and was followed by performances from Toby Keith, 3 Doors Down and YouTube sensation The Piano Guys, who opened with their rendition of One Direction's 'What Makes You Beautiful'.

Keith warmed the crowd by singing his country hit 'Made In America' and later performed his patriotic tune 'Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue'.

Also present for the big concert were Trump's four oldest children and three oldest grandchildren. His son Barron did not attend.

Chairman of the presidential inaugural committee Tom Barrack took to the stage after Keith and addressed the crowd, asking the public to unite behind the new president.