How to Watch the 2026 World Cup Opening Ceremonies

By Jessica Sager Parade - Entertainment Stories

Updated June 11, 2026 1:05 PM

The 2026 World Cup opening ceremony will have three parts.

The planet's biggest sports championship games (sorry, New York Knicks, love you though!) will take place in Mexico, the United States and Canada, each with their own respective ceremony to kick off the series.

To give an idea of how huge the World Cup and its ceremonies are: About 126 million people watched the 2026 Super Bowl, while 2.9 billion-with a B!-people watched the 2022 World Cup.

The biggest headliners for each FIFA World Cup opening ceremony this year include Shakira, J Balvin, Katy Perry, Michael Bublé and Alanis Morisette.

Find out all of the 2026 World Cup opening ceremony performers, how to watch the 2026 World Cup opening ceremonies and when they each will air.

🤩📺SIGN UP for Parade‘s Daily newsletter & get the scoop on the latest TV news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🤩🎥

Who is opening the World Cup ceremony in 2026?

Each host country will have their own respective World Cup opening ceremony for 2026. They will take place when each host team plays their first game in the series.

Mexico

Shakira and Burna Boy will perform together for the Mexico World Cup opening ceremony. J Balvin, Belinda, Lila Downs, Alejandro Fernández, Maná, Danny Ocean and the Los Ángeles Azules will each also take the stage.

Canada

Michael Bublé, Alessia Cara, Alanis Morissette, Elyanna, Nora Fatehi, William Prince, Jessie Reyez, Sanjoy and Vegedream will all perform for the 2026 World Cup opening ceremony in Canada.

United States

Katy Perry, LISA, Anitta, Future, Tyla and Rema are all slated to perform the U.S. 2026 World Cup opening ceremony. Dan + Shay will perform the national anthem and Purahei Soul will perform Paraguay's national anthem.

Where is the World Cup opening ceremony in 2026?

Mexico, Canada and the United States will each have their own World Cup opening ceremonies in 2026, each taking place before kicking off their respective host teams' first games in the series.

Mexico's opening ceremony for the World Cup will take place at Mexico City Stadium.

The Canadian World Cup opening ceremony will be at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario.

The 2026 World Cup opening ceremony in the United States will be in Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium.

Who is singing at the World Cup opening ceremony 2026?

The full lineup of 2026 World Cup opening ceremony performers are:

Shakira and Burna Boy
J Balvin
Belinda
Lila Downs
Alejandro Fernández
Maná
Danny Ocean
Los Ángeles Azules
Michael Bublé
Alessia Cara
Alanis Morissette
Elyanna
Nora Fatehi
William Prince
Jessie Reyez
Sanjoy
Vegedream
Katy Perry
LISA
Anitta
Future
Tyla
Rema

What is the theme song for the World Cup 2026?

Shakira and Burna Boy did the 2026 World Cup theme song, "Dai Dai."

Where can I watch the World Cup opening ceremony in 2026?

FOX and FOX Sports 1 will have all of the 2026 World Cup opening ceremonies and games with English language coverage. You can stream all three opening ceremonies on FOX One. You can also stream the Mexico and U.S. opening ceremonies on Tubi.

What time is the World Cup opening ceremony?

Each 2026 World Cup opening ceremony takes place 90 minutes before the first games begin in each host country:

When is the 2026 World Cup opening ceremony in Mexico?

The 2026 World Cup opening ceremony in Mexico is on Thursday, June 11, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. ET.

When is the 2026 World Cup opening ceremony in Canada?

The Canada 2026 World Cup opening ceremony will be on Friday, June 12, at 3 p.m. ET.

When is the 2026 World Cup opening ceremony in the U.S.?

The United States 2026 World Cup opening ceremony is also on Friday, June 12, and will begin at 6 p.m. ET.

This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 12:53 PM.