As you may already know, the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off this Thursday, June 11, with fans, players and celebrities converging on the United States, Mexico and Canada for the celebrations. With thousands attending matches across the three host nations and millions more tuning in worldwide, it makes sense to have three distinct opening ceremonies to herald the first game in each country.
The tournament’s inaugural match, Mexico vs. South Africa, will officially open the competition. Prior to kickoff, Shakira and Burna Boy will headline the ceremony in Mexico City on Thursday. The Toronto ceremony, featuring Alanis Morissette, and the Los Angeles ceremony, fronted by Katy Perry, will take place just before the respective matches in those cities on Friday. All three star‑studded events will be broadcast live – here’s what you need to know to catch them.
When are the three opening ceremonies?
The ceremonies are scheduled for the first two days of the tournament. Mexico City’s ceremony is set for Thursday, June 11 at 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT, exactly 90 minutes before the Mexico‑South Africa opener.
Toronto’s ceremony follows on Friday, June 12 at 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT, 90 minutes ahead of the Canada‑Bosnia and Herzegovina match.
The final ceremony will be aired from Los Angeles on June 12 at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT, also 90 minutes before the United States‑Paraguay game.
Which channels will carry the ceremonies?
Both the opening ceremonies and the opening‑day matches featuring the host nations will be shown on Fox, with Spanish‑language coverage on Telemundo.
How to watch without a cable subscription
You can stream Fox via a live‑TV service such as Fubo, YouTube TV, DirecTV or Hulu + Live TV, as well as through Fox One. For Spanish‑language streams, head to Peacock. The Mexico and U.S. ceremonies will also be available for free on Tubi, which is streaming Thursday’s Mexico‑South Africa match and Friday’s U.S.‑Paraguay match.
Fox One aggregates every Fox outlet—including Fox News, Fox Sports, Fox Weather, FS1, FS2, Fox Business, Fox Deportes, the Big Ten Network and local Fox stations—so you can watch every English‑language World Cup match and ceremony in one place.
Fox One costs $20 per month, or $200 annually, with a three‑day free trial available.
Peacock provides live sports (Spanish‑language only) on both of its plans. You can view every 2026 World Cup match and ceremony with multi‑view, alternate angles and more. Peacock Premium with ads is $11 per month; the ad‑free Premium Plus is $17.
The DirecTV MySports Genre Pack gives you Fox, FS1 and dozens of other channels plus ESPN Unlimited. It’s $50 for the first two months and includes a five‑day free trial.
Who’s performing at each ceremony?
At Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca, Shakira and Burna Boy—collaborators on the official anthem “Dai Dai”—will headline Thursday’s show. Other announced acts include Alejandro Fernández, Belinda, Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules, Maná and Tyla.
Katy Perry will lead the Los Angeles ceremony at SoFi Stadium (the World Cup venue), joined by Future, Anitta, LISA, Rema and Tyla, all featured on the official 2026 soundtrack.
Toronto’s BMO Field lineup is anchored by Alanis Morissette and will also showcase Alessia Cara, Elyanna, Jessie Reyez, Michael Bublé, Nora Fatehi, Sanjoy, Vegedream and William Prince.
Is there a closing ceremony?
There won’t be an official closing ceremony for the 2026 World Cup, but a massive concert is slated for the final’s halftime on Sunday, July 19. The show will feature Madonna, BTS, Shakira and many surprise guests. The final match begins at 3 p.m. ET at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, so the halftime spectacle should start around 4–4:30 p.m. ET, barring any major delays.