Upcoming event details: date, time, performers revealed.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will open with three ceremonies in Mexico City, Toronto, and Los Angeles. The first event began Thursday, June 11 at 12:30 p.m. ET in Estadio Azteca before the Mexico‑South Africa match. The Toronto ceremony followed Thursday, June 12 at 1:30 p.m. ET before the Canada‑Bosnia and Herzegovina game. The Los Angeles show took place Friday, June 12 at 7:30 p.m. ET at SoFi Stadium ahead of the United States‑Paraguay opener.
Italian producer Marco Balich, known for the 2022 Qatar World Cup and the 2026 Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics opening ceremonies, designed each program around a sporting theme and national culture. Mexico featured motifs of papel picado, Canada presented a mosaic reflecting multiculturalism, and the United States highlighted a “glowing cup” concept. Each show included welcoming remarks, a flag parade, the presentation of the official match ball, and about 30 minutes of musical performances.
In addition to local acts, international performers were scheduled. Los Angeles hosted Dan + Shay, Katy Perry, LISA, Rema, Anitta, and Future, among others. Mexico City included Shakira, Burna Boy, Alejandro Fernández, Belinda, J Balvin, and a debut performance by Andrea Bocelli and David Guetta. Toronto featured Alanis Morissette, Alessia Cara, Michael Bublé, and Will Arnett.
FIFA announced that the World Cup Final halftime show, debuting on July 19 at MetLife Stadium, will be headlined by Madonna, Shakira, and BTS, marking the first such event in FIFA history.