The World Cup will feature an unprecedented trio of star-studded opening ceremonies in the host nations, the United States, Canada and Mexico, created by the Italian producer behind the opening ceremony for this year’s Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
Marco Balich, fresh off the Olympics opening ceremony, which included a parade of athletes spread across four venues, said he was up to the challenge of producing three shows in three cities, with teams numbering 260 to 300 people in each city.
The ceremonies’ unifying theme will be “the celebration of sports, the passion for soccer, symbolized by the cup itself,” Balich said. “The idea is to narrate with three points of view and languages,” using design aesthetics representative of each culture.
In Canada, a mosaic will represent its multicultural identity. Mexico’s motif will be the traditional paper cutouts called papel picado, while the United States will have “a super shiny, glowing cup,” said Balich, who also produced the opening ceremony for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Each ceremony will feature top artistic performances that tap into the national identity, but Balich said spectators shouldn’t expect a Super Bowl-style halftime extravaganza. Instead, the ceremonies will combine welcoming speeches, a parade of flags, the presentation of the match ball and about 30 minutes of musical entertainment.
When is the FIFA World Cup opening ceremonies?
The festivities launch on Thursday, June 11 at 12:30 p.m. ET in Mexico City, ahead of the Mexico City-South Africa match. They continue on Friday, June 12 at 1:30 p.m. ET in Toronto ahead of the Canada-Bosnia and Herzegovina game.
The U.S. ceremony will also be held on June 12, taking place at 7:30 p.m. ET at the Los Angeles Stadium ahead of the U.S.-Paraguay opener.
Who’s performing at the opening ceremony in the U.S.?
A star-studded line-up of international performers will take the stage at L.A.’s SoFi Stadium on June 12, including Katy Perry, global pop star LISA, Nigerian Afrobeats star Rema, Brazilian pop artist Anitta, and hip-hop artist Future.
Who’s performing at the opening ceremony in Mexico?
Latin music superstar Shakira and Burna Boy will perform Dai Dai, the official song for the tournament, at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Alejandro Fernández, Belinda, Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules, Maná and Tyla are also performing.
Who’s performing at the opening ceremony in Canada?
Alanis Morissette and Michael Bublé will headline the show in Toronto at BMO Field.
FIFA said more artists would be announced for the ceremonies in the U.S. and Canada.
Who’s performing at the World Cup Finals halftime show?
Pop icon Madonna, Shakira and K-pop sensations BTS will headline the first-ever halftime show at a FIFA World Cup final. The headliners will make history when they take the stage at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19.
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