The 2026 FIFA World Cup has three opening ceremonies (one for each host country: Mexico, Canada, and the United States), with the main global ceremony taking place in Mexico City on June 11, 2026.
🌍 A First-Ever Trilogy of Ceremonies
For the first time in tournament history, the FIFA World Cup 2026 opening ceremony isn’t a single show — it’s a trilogy. Mexico City, Toronto, and Los Angeles each host their own kickoff spectacle on June 11 and 12, all produced in creative partnership with Italian agency Balich Wonder Studio, the team behind major Olympic and Expo productions.
🇲🇽 Ceremony 1 — Mexico City (June 11)
Estadio Azteca | Before Mexico vs. South Africa
Shakira and Burna Boy took the global stage for the first opening ceremony, where they performed the FIFA World Cup official song, “Dai Dai.” ABC News
The full lineup also included Mexican rock band Maná, Mexican singers Alejandro Fernández, Belinda and Lila Downs, cumbia band Los Ángeles Azules, South African singer Tyla, Colombian singer J Balvin, and Venezuelan singer Danny Ocean. FOX Sports
Andrea Bocelli and singer EJAE also performed, with Bocelli singing the official anthem “DNA” alongside EJAE, David Guetta, and Megan Thee Stallion.
🇨🇦 Ceremony 2 — Toronto (June 12)
BMO Field | Before Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Great White North hosted its opening ceremony at 1:30 p.m. ET, featuring Alanis Morissette, Alessia Cara, Jessie Reyez, Michael Bublé, and other performers. FIFA President Infantino teased the Toronto ceremony as “a powerful reflection of Canada’s identity.”
🇺🇸 Ceremony 3 — Los Angeles (June 12)
SoFi Stadium | Before USA vs. Paraguay
Global superstars Katy Perry, Future, Anitta, LISA, Rema, and Tyla headlined the celebrations in Los Angeles, bringing the sound of the FIFA World Cup 2026 to life for a global audience in a high-energy spectacle reflecting the cultural power of the tournament. U.S. Soccer
Country duo Dan + Shay sang the “Star-Spangled Banner,” while Purahei Soul delivered the national anthem of Paraguay. The ceremony was expected to carry a distinctly Hollywood flavor and is considered the biggest entertainment show of the three.
All three ceremonies were created by Italian producer Marco Balich, fresh off producing the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony. The ceremonies’ unifying theme is “the celebration of sports, the passion for soccer, symbolized by the cup itself,” with each city narrating the story through its own cultural design aesthetic.
