The 2026 FIFA World Cup is bringing some of the biggest names in music and sports to North America and New Jersey. Excitement kicks into high gear this week and will reach fever pitch by July 19 in East Rutherford.
That’s when Madonna, Shakira and BTS will headline the FIFA World Cup final halftime show.
The World Cup opens in Mexico City on June 11. Stars taking part in its opening ceremony include Alejandro Fernández, Belinda, Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules, Maná and Tyla, according to FIFA.
U.S. and Canadian opening events also will be packed with celebrity firepower. Katy Perry will take part in the U.S. opener at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on June 12 before the U.S. takes on Paraguay, ESPN reported.
Alanis Morissette and Michael Bublé are scheduled to perform at Canada’s opening celebration in Toronto on June 12, according to FIFA.
FIFA has aimed for this year’s World Cup to feel like a Super Bowl on an even bigger scale from the beginning.
The celebrity lineup for its bracket-setting ceremony last December included performances by Andrea Bocelli, Robbie Williams, Nicole Scherzinger and Village People. Athletes Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, Aaron Judge, Shaquille O’Neal and Eli Manning were also part of the event, according to FIFA.
Coming to the Garden State
Expect the star power to hit New Jersey’s airports and highways by June 13 when things kick off with Brazil versus Morocco at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford. (The stadium has been temporarily renamed New York New Jersey Stadium because FIFA rules prohibit corporate-sponsored names and logos.)
The stars will be out in full force for the final game. Madonna, Shakira and BTS are confirmed for the halftime show.
Shakira has taken part in previous World Cup events when she performed “Hips Don’t Lie” at the 2006 closing ceremony in Germany, turned “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” into an anthem for the 2010 tournament in South Africa, and returned in 2014 to perform “La La La” at the closing ceremony in Brazil.
Coldplay’s Chris Martin will also be on hand. But Martin won’t be singing. He’s curating the show, which means he’s helping shape the lineup and presentation, NBC News reported.
Local sports heroes also will be taking part. Giants legend Eli Manning, U.S. soccer star Midge Purce and Knicks guard Josh Hart have all been named ambassadors by the New York/New Jersey Host Committee.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.northjersey.com ’
