Shakira and Burna Boy to play in first of three World Cup opening ceremonies

Shakira enters for a panel on the 2026 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament halftime show at the Global Citizen NOW summit, Thursday, May 14, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
Shakira enters for a panel on the 2026 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament halftime show at the Global Citizen NOW summit, Thursday, May 14, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
Shakira performs during the Global Citizen Festival in New York on Sept. 27, 2025, left, and Burna Boy performs during the Glastonbury Festival in Somerset, England, on June 30, 2024. (AP Photo)
Shakira performs during the Global Citizen Festival in New York on Sept. 27, 2025, left, and Burna Boy performs during the Glastonbury Festival in Somerset, England, on June 30, 2024. (AP Photo)
Shakira speaks on a panel on the 2026 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament halftime show during the Global Citizen NOW summit, Thursday, May 14, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
Shakira speaks on a panel on the 2026 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament halftime show during the Global Citizen NOW summit, Thursday, May 14, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
FILE - Colombian singer Shakira rehearses a day ahead of her free concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, on May 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado, File)
FILE - Colombian singer Shakira rehearses a day ahead of her free concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, on May 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado, File)
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Shakira and Burna Boy will perform in Mexico City for the first of three opening ceremonies at the World Cup.

The music stars will perform Dai Dai, the official song for the tournament, ahead of the opening game between co-host Mexico and South Africa on Thursday.

FIFA has planned opening ceremonies for each host nation, with curtain-raisers ahead of games in the United States and Canada as well.

World soccer’s governing body has revealed the line-up for the show in Mexico, which also includes Alejandro Fernández, Belinda, Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules, Maná and Tyla. It said more artists would be announced for the ceremonies in the U.S. and Canada.

Alanis Morissette and Michael Bublé headline in Toronto on June 12 ahead of Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Later that day Katy Perry, global pop star LISA, Nigerian Afrobeats star Rema, Brazilian pop artist Anitta, and hip-hop artist Future are performing in Los Angeles before the U.S. faces Paraguay.

The trio of shows is being created by Italian producer Marco Balich, who was behind the spectacular opening ceremony for this year’s Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. Each show will be held about 90 minutes before kickoff.

Shakira is also among headliners performing at a Super Bowl-style halftime show for the World Cup final along with Madonna and boy band BTS.

Diana Ross performed at the opening ceremony in Chicago when the World Cup was last held in the U.S. in 1994 and famously missed a penalty kick as part of the show.

The song Dai Dai aims to raise $100 million in support of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

 

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