Mexico City Leads 3 Ceremonies at World Cup Opening — What Time Is The World Cup Opening Ceremony
The world cup opening ceremony starts 90 minutes before kick-off in Mexico City, with the first of three 2026 FIFA World Cup ceremonies set for Thursday, June 11. The Mexico City show begins at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT before Mexico meets South Africa.
That launch is split across three cities in three countries. Toronto and Los Angeles will host the other opening ceremony performances on Friday, June 12, each timed 90 minutes before their matches begin.
Mexico City opens with Shakira
Shakira and Burna Boy will sing the FIFA World Cup official song, “Dai Dai,” before the first match in Mexico City. Alejandro Fernández, Belinda, Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules, Maná and Tyla are also slated to perform there.
FIFA described the Mexico City ceremony as putting Mexican culture “center stage” through “music, dance and artistry, featuring indigenous talent and modern folkloric performers.” That gives the opening day a local focus even as the tournament spreads its launch across North America.
Toronto and Los Angeles lineups
Toronto’s ceremony arrives on Friday, June 12, before Canada faces Bosnia-Herzegovina at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT. The Canadian lineup includes Alanis Morissette, Alessia Cara, Alyanna, Jessie Reyez, Michael Buble, Nora Fatehi, Sanjoy, Vegedream and William Prince.
Los Angeles follows the same day before the U.S. meets Paraguay at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. Katy Perry, Future, Anitta, LISA, Rema and Tyla are scheduled to perform there, giving the opening stretch a second major stage after Mexico City.
July 19 closes the run
Shakira will return for the FIFA World Cup Final on Sunday, July 19, at New York New Jersey Stadium, where she will perform during halftime. The final will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, described as “an initiative aiming to raise $100 million to expand access to quality education and football opportunities for children worldwide.”
For fans tracking the opening weekend, the timing is simple: Mexico City first at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT on June 11, then Toronto and Los Angeles on June 12. The opening ceremonies are no longer a single kickoff show; they are a three-city run that starts in Mexico and spreads across the U.S. and Canada.
