Shakira, Katy Perry, Maná and Alanis Morissette headline the World Cup 2026's three opening ceremonies
The 2026 World Cup will open not with one ceremony, but three. For the first time in tournament history, Mexico, Canada and the United States each host their own opening show, built around their respective cultural identities rather than a single centralised spectacle. All three are produced by Italian event director Marco Balich, the man behind the opening ceremonies of the Beijing, Rio de Janeiro and Milan-Cortina Olympics.
Mexico City goes first on June 11. The Estadio Azteca — the only stadium on earth to have hosted the opening ceremony of three separate World Cups (1970, 1986 and 2026) — will stage a roughly 16-minute show inspired by the traditional Mexican papel picado art form. Before the Mexico vs South Africa kick-off, the lineup includes Maná, Alejandro Fernández, Belinda, Los Ángeles Azules, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Danny Ocean and South African artist Tyla. The official tournament anthem “Dai Dai” will be performed by Shakira and Burna Boy.
On June 12, Toronto takes its turn at BMO Field with a ceremony built around Canada’s multiculturalism, featuring Michael Bublé, Alanis Morissette, Alessia Cara, Jessie Reyez, Elyanna, Nora Fatehi, Vegedream, William Prince and Sanjoy. Later that evening, Los Angeles closes the trilogy at the SoFi Stadium ahead of the USA vs Paraguay opener, with a lineup headlined by Katy Perry, Future, Anitta, LISA, Rema and Tyla — the only artist appearing at two of the three ceremonies.
Each show runs around 30 minutes and combines welcome speeches, a flag parade, the official match ball presentation and a live music programme. Producer Balich has been clear that this is not a Super Bowl halftime show: the goal is cultural authenticity, not technological spectacle.
