The 2026 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony is unlike anything football has seen before. For the first time in history, there are three separate opening ceremonies across three host nations. Mexico, Canada, and the United States each stage their own star-studded pre-match show, with globally recognised performers celebrating their nation’s culture, music, and identity before the first ball of the tournament is kicked. This is not just a football ceremony. It is a continental cultural event staged across 39 days and three countries.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 opening ceremony takes place across three cities. Mexico City hosts the first show on June 11. Toronto follows on June 12 and Los Angeles closes the trilogy that same evening. Italian creative agency Balich Wonder Studio produces all three. Each ceremony runs exactly 90 minutes before its host nation’s first match.

Ceremony 1: Mexico City — Thursday June 11

Venue: Estadio Azteca (officially named Mexico City Stadium for the tournament)

Start Time: 11:30am CST / 1:30pm ET / 6:30pm BST / 7:30pm CET

Match Following: Mexico vs South Africa at 1:00pm CST / 3:00pm ET

Mexico gets the honour of opening the tournament, continuing the tradition of the host nation staging the first ceremony of every World Cup. The Estadio Azteca holds 87,500 people and is making history as the first stadium ever to host matches across three World Cups — 1970, 1986, and now 2026.

The ceremony is set to celebrate and showcase the best of Latin American talent. FIFA described the concept as being brought to life through the intricate and celebratory art of papel picado — traditional Mexican craft made from cutting designs into sheets of tissue paper — as a powerful symbol of tradition, craftsmanship, and joy.

Mexico City Performers

J Balvin — The Colombian reggaeton superstar who has become one of Latin music’s biggest global exports. J Balvin brings an enormous fanbase and the kind of energy that fills the Azteca before the first kick-off of the tournament.

Tyla — The South African singer who won the Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance in 2024. Tyla is the only artist booked at two ceremonies, performing in both Mexico City and Los Angeles. Her presence at the Mexico City ceremony adds an African dimension to the Latin celebration, connecting the continent whose ten teams are competing in North America.

Maná — The beloved Mexican rock band who have sold more than 40 million records worldwide. Their inclusion gives the ceremony its most directly local dimension, Mexico’s own legendary group performing at the most important sporting occasion their nation has ever hosted.

The official tournament anthem, “Dai Dai” by Shakira and Burna Boy, released on May 14, 2026 as the tournament’s official anthem. It is part of the multi-track FIFA World Cup 2026 album rather than a standalone single, and it will be performed live across the three ceremonies.

Ceremony 2: Toronto — Friday June 12

Venue: BMO Field, Toronto

Start Time: 1:30pm ET / 6:30pm BST / 7:30pm CET

Match Following: Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina at 3:00pm ET

Canada’s opening ceremony at BMO Field celebrates the country’s extraordinary musical heritage alongside international talent. BMO Field holds 30,000 and will be sold out for Canada’s first ever World Cup home game.

Toronto Performers

Michael Bublé — The Vancouver-born jazz and pop singer who has sold more than 75 million records worldwide. One of Canada’s most beloved exports and a natural choice to represent the country on its greatest sporting stage. His smooth stage presence and enormous back catalogue make him an ideal ceremonial headliner.

Alanis Morissette — The Ottawa-born rock icon whose album Jagged Little Pill remains one of the best-selling albums in history. Her inclusion brings a different dimension to the Canadian ceremony, the anger, the emotion, and the raw musical power that defined an entire generation of Canadian identity in the 1990s and beyond.

Canada will host the second opening ceremony on Friday June 12 at 1:30pm ET at Toronto Stadium welcoming a wide range of homegrown performers as well as international talent.

Ceremony 3: Los Angeles — Friday June 12

Venue: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California

Start Time: 4:30pm PT / 7:30pm ET / 12:30am BST (June 13)

Match Following: USA vs Paraguay at 6:30pm PT / 9:30pm ET

The US ceremony closes the trilogy at SoFi Stadium, one of the most architecturally stunning sporting venues in the world. SoFi holds 70,000 and features a transparent roof that allows natural light while protecting fans from the California sun. Los Angeles leans into Hollywood-style production. This is the ceremony with the most global star power, befitting the entertainment capital of the world.

Los Angeles Performers

Katy Perry — One of the best-selling music artists in history with over 143 million certified units worldwide. California-born and performing in her home state, Katy Perry is the centrepiece of the US ceremony. Her stadium show experience and global recognition make her the most commercially powerful choice FIFA could have made for the American opening.

LISA from BLACKPINK — The Thai-born K-pop superstar who has built one of the most dedicated global fanbases in contemporary music. Her inclusion reflects the enormous and growing Asian fanbase for both K-pop and football, and her solo career has made her one of the most-followed artists on social media in the world.

Anitta — The Brazilian pop star who has become one of Latin America’s biggest crossover artists, regularly charting in the United States and Europe. Her inclusion adds a South American energy to the US ceremony, connecting the continent that sent Brazil and Argentina, two of the tournament’s biggest draws to compete in North America.

Future — The Atlanta-based rapper who brings a hip-hop dimension to the ceremony and connects the US’s dominant contemporary music culture to the global football audience. His Atlanta roots are particularly relevant given that Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta is one of the tournament’s major venues.

Tyla — Performing at her second ceremony after Mexico City, the South African artist provides the trilogy with a connecting thread between the opening and closing ceremonies.

Rema — The Nigerian Afrobeats artist whose song “Calm Down” with Selena Gomez became one of the most-streamed songs in history. His inclusion at the US ceremony is a nod to the enormous African fanbase watching this tournament, particularly poignant given that Nigeria did not qualify for the World Cup itself.

The Shared Creative Thread

According to FIFA, the ceremonies will be tied together by a shared creative thread that reimagines the World Cup trophy through the cultural lens of each host nation. FIFA president Gianni Infantino described the ceremonies as bringing together music, culture and football in a way that reflects both the individuality of each nation and the unity that defines this tournament.

Each ceremony also features performances from the official FIFA World Cup 2026 album, a multi-artist collection that includes “Dai Dai” by Shakira and Burna Boy as its lead single. The album blends indigenous talent with modern folklore across cumbia, afrobeats, hip-hop, and pop.

How to Watch the Opening Ceremonies

All three ceremonies are broadcast on the same channels that carry the following match.

USA: FOX (English) and Telemundo (Spanish). Both broadcast free over-the-air. Stream on FOX One or Peacock. Tubi streams the Mexico and USA ceremonies free in 4K.

UK: BBC has the Mexico City ceremony. Both BBC and ITV carry the tournament, with the final shared on both channels simultaneously. Stream free on BBC iPlayer and ITVX.

Canada: CTV (free over-the-air), TSN, and RDS by Bell Media. The Toronto ceremony at BMO Field is the centrepiece of Canadian coverage.

Australia: SBS and SBS On Demand, entirely free.

Sub-Saharan Africa: SuperSport via DStv and GOtv for all 104 matches. Selected free-to-air coverage varies by country.

Middle East and North Africa: beIN Sports across 24 countries.

Mexico: TelevisaUnivision and TV Azteca, free over-the-air. TV Azteca specifically is expected to carry all three ceremonies given the tournament’s significance to Mexico.

Worldwide: FIFA+ at fifa.com offers free highlights, ceremony replays, and behind-the-scenes content. It is not live but provides next-day access globally at no cost.

A Historic Moment

Three opening ceremonies in two days. Three countries. Shakira, Burna Boy, Katy Perry, LISA, J Balvin, Maná, Michael Bublé, Alanis Morissette, Future, Anitta, Rema, and Tyla. The Estadio Azteca for the first time in three World Cups. SoFi Stadium’s Hollywood production values. BMO Field packed with Canadian fans watching their first home World Cup.

Whatever your team, whatever your time zone, whatever your preferred language of commentary, the 2026 World Cup begins in a way no sporting event has ever begun before. Three opening nights. One tournament. Forty-eight teams. And one trophy waiting at MetLife Stadium on July 19.

Sources: WorldCupOpeningCeremony.com, TIME Magazine, WSN, World Cup Pass