The 2026 FIFA World Cup will not begin with one opening ceremony. It will begin with three, split across Mexico City, Toronto and Los Angeles, each set for 90 minutes before kickoff in the matches that follow.
That is the answer fans are searching for today: what time is the world cup opening ceremony, and where do you watch it. The first will come on Thursday, June 11, 2026, in Mexico City before Mexico plays South Africa, with kickoff set for 3 p.m. ET, or noon PT. Two more performances follow on Friday, June 12, in Toronto and Los Angeles, timed to the Canada-Bosnia-Herzegovina match at 3 p.m. ET, 12 p.m. PT, and the U.S.-Paraguay match at 9 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. PT.
In Mexico City, Shakira and Burna Boy will sing the FIFA World Cup official song, “Dai Dai,” while a wider slate of performers includes Alejandro Fernández, Belinda, Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules, Maná and Tyla. The Toronto stage will feature Alanis Morissette, Alessia Cara, Alyanna, Jessie Reyez, Michael Buble, Nora Fatehi, Sanjoy, Vegedream and William Prince. In Los Angeles, Katy Perry, Future, Anitta, LISA, Rema and Tyla are scheduled to perform.
The split format is the part that makes this opening unusual. Instead of one central kickoff spectacle, FIFA is spreading the ceremonies across three cities and two days, tying each performance to the local match schedule in the United States, Mexico and Canada. That means there is no single start time for the whole tournament, only separate moments in each host city.
FIFA said the Mexico City ceremony will put “center stage” on music, dance and artistry, with indigenous talent and modern folkloric performers woven into the show. Fox and FS1 will air the opening ceremonies in the United States, while Telemundo will carry the matches in Spanish and fans can stream on Tubi, FOX One and Fox Sports apps. Shakira will return for the final on Sunday, July 19, 2026, when she is set to perform during the halftime show at New York New Jersey Stadium, a night that will also support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund’s push to raise $100 million for education and football opportunities for children worldwide.
