Ciara will headline the halftime show at Major League Soccer’s 2026 All-Star Game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., on Wednesday, July 29. The league made the announcement on Saturday, July 25, turning the matchup into a showcase that will now include one of music’s biggest names.
The booking gives the league a performer with a built-in connection to MLS. Ciara is a part-owner of Seattle Sounders FC alongside her husband, Russell Wilson, and she cast the performance as more than a standard entertainment slot. “Headlining the halftime show at this year’s MLS All-Star Game presented by Chime is such an incredible honor,” she said, adding that she loves moments that bring people together through music and pure energy.
Her remarks also point to the kind of crowd the league is trying to reach in Charlotte. Ciara said that, as a proud MLS team owner, she knows fans “show up with so much heart” and that she cannot wait to match that energy on stage. She also framed July 29 as “a celebration of the game, the culture, and the joy of sharing this experience together,” language that fits a league event trying to feel bigger than a single match.
That mix of roles is what makes the announcement stand out. Ciara is being introduced both as the headliner and as someone with ownership ties inside the league, a crossover that blurs the line between performer and insider. The setup raises a simple question about how the night will be staged, but the only thing confirmed for now is the headline act itself.
Ciara’s profile reaches beyond MLS, too. The Grammy Award-winning performer was one of four cover stars for SI Swimsuit in 2022 and had her first-ever feature photographed by Ben Watts on the shores of Barbados that same year. For now, though, the focus is on Charlotte, where the 2026 MLS All-Star Game will lean on a familiar face with league ties to anchor its halftime moment.
What happens next is straightforward: on July 29, Ciara is scheduled to take the stage at Bank of America Stadium. Whether the league adds anything else to the halftime production has not been detailed, but the centerpiece is already set.
