Blackpink’s Lisa to help kick off FIFA World Cup 2026 opening show in Los Angeles

FIFA is preparing a historic launch for the 2026 World Cup, with separate opening ceremonies to be staged across the three host countries – Mexico, Canada and the United States – as football and global music come together on one of the world’s biggest stages.

For K-pop and Thai fans, the biggest highlight is the inclusion of Lalisa “Lisa” Manobal, or Lisa of Blackpink, in the line-up for the US opening show at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on June 12.

She is set to perform alongside major international stars, including Katy Perry, Future, Alanis Morissette, Michael Buble and J Balvin, in a high-energy ceremony ahead of the US opening match against Paraguay.

Lisa is now set to become the first Thai artiste and the first female K-pop act to headline a FIFA World Cup opening ceremony, a milestone that fans are already calling iconic.

Mexico will get the party started, 90 minutes before the kick-off of the tournament’s first match between Mexico and South Africa on June 11 at Azteca Stadium, renamed Mexico City Stadium for the tournament.

The Mexico ceremony will feature artistes, including Colombian megastar J Balvin, multi-Grammy-award-winning Mexican rock band Mana and pop star Alejandro Fernandez, son of legendary ranchero king Vicente Fernandez.

Mexico’s Latino pop princess Belinda and singer-songwriter Lila Downs are on board, along with South African singer-songwriter Tyla and Los Angeles Azules, who play in the traditional Mexican cumbia style.

“The world will share this moment and that is how this tournament will begin,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in a statement.

“Starting with Mexico City and continuing the next days with Toronto and Los Angeles, these ceremonies will bring together music, culture and football in a way that reflects both the individuality of each nation and the unity that defines this tournament,” he added.

“It is a powerful way to begin a truly global celebration.”

On June 12, Canada will host its own opening event in Toronto before the host country faces Bosnia and Herzegovina. Performers listed for the Canadian ceremony include home-grown singers Buble, Morissette, Alessia Cara, Jessie Reyez, Nora Fatehi and Palestinian-Chilean artiste Elyanna.

Organisers promise a “journey across Canada, as the countdown unfolds through moments that reflect the country from coast to coast”.

Later on the same day when the US open their campaign against Paraguay in Los Angeles, American pop megastar Perry will be joined by American rapper Future, Lisa, Brazilian superstar Anitta, Nigerian rapper Rema and South African singer Tyla.

Additional artistes are still to be announced, FIFA said.

“This opening ceremony in Los Angeles represents the extraordinary scale of what the FIFA World Cup 2026 will become,” Mr Infantino said.

“The line-up of artistes reflects the cultural diversity of the United States and the vibrancy of its many diasporas, highlighting the nation’s rich influence on music, entertainment and pop culture, while showcasing the power of music to bring people together across the country.”

Other global artistes set to get the sprawling, nearly six-week-long football spectacle off to a spectacular start include Venezuelan reggaeton star Danny Ocean and Bangladeshi-American Sanjoy, a Los Angeles-based DJ.

Organisers said fans will have an “active role to play” in the shows and encouraged them to arrive early.

“Across time zones and borders, the celebrations are united by one central idea: a shared heartbeat,” FIFA’s statement said. AFP, THE NATION/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

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