Katy Perry headlines the 2026 World Cup opening ceremony in Los Angeles

Katy Perry took centre stage at the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Cup, performing at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on 12 June ahead of the United States men's team's first match against Paraguay. The set marked one of the highest-profile live performances of the pop star's recent career, played out before a global television audience of many millions.

The pop star was the headline act on a bill that also featured global names including Future, Anitta, LISA, Rema and Tyla, as the tournament's American leg got under way with a splash of stadium-sized spectacle. The international line-up reflected the global reach of the event itself, a tournament being staged across North America with the United States as its principal host.

Opening ceremonies have become an increasingly important part of major football tournaments, blending sport with the kind of pop spectacle more commonly associated with awards shows and arena tours. For the host nation, the ceremony offered an early opportunity to set the tone for a tournament it has waited years to stage.

A duet to remember

Wearing a silver sequinned gown by Stella McCartney, Perry shared the stage with 10-year-old singer Tius for a rendition of her 2024 track Wonder. As the pair performed, flags of competing nations were paraded around them, and Perry closed the number by lifting her young co-star into her arms in one of the evening's most memorable moments.

The pairing of an established global star with a young newcomer struck a deliberately inclusive note, in keeping with the spirit of a tournament that prides itself on bringing together nations and generations. The flags of the competing countries lent the performance a ceremonial grandeur befitting the occasion.

The production leaned heavily on the kind of large-scale staging that has become a hallmark of modern stadium spectacle, with lighting, choreography and screens combining to fill the vast space of the arena. For the watching crowd and the global television audience alike, the moment was designed to linger long after the music had stopped and the football had begun.

A global cast of performers

The supporting line-up drew on talent from several continents, with artists representing different regions and musical traditions sharing the bill. The inclusion of stars from Latin America, Asia and Africa alongside Perry underscored the tournament's status as a truly worldwide event and reflected the diverse audiences it hopes to reach.

The performance blended pop spectacle with the colour of the tournament's host nations, setting a celebratory tone for a World Cup spread across North America. The scale of the production, staged at one of the most modern stadiums in the United States, signalled the ambition of organisers determined to make the event a cultural as well as a sporting landmark.

“Football has become a stage that the biggest names in music now want to be part of, and tonight showed exactly why.”

— A live-events industry commentator on the ceremony

Background

The 2026 World Cup is being staged across North America, with Los Angeles among the marquee host cities and SoFi Stadium one of its flagship venues. The tournament's expanded format and continental spread have made it one of the largest editions of the competition ever held, raising the profile of its opening festivities accordingly.

Securing a headliner of Perry's stature reflects the growing convergence of sport and entertainment, with major tournaments increasingly courting chart-topping artists to broaden their appeal. The opening night underlined football's growing pull on the biggest names in pop, and the willingness of those artists to embrace the global platform such events provide.

• Headliner: Katy Perry performed her 2024 track Wonder
• Duet partner: 10-year-old singer Tius joined her on stage
• Supporting acts: Future, Anitta, LISA, Rema and Tyla
• Venue: SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, ahead of the United States against Paraguay

What happens next

With Los Angeles among the marquee host cities, the opening night underlined football's growing pull on the biggest names in pop. As the tournament now unfolds across North America over the coming weeks, the ceremony will be remembered as the moment the host nation announced the arrival of a competition years in the planning. For organisers, a smoothly executed and star-studded opening provides exactly the momentum they had hoped for as attention turns from spectacle to the football itself.