Shakira, Madonna, and BTS will headline the first ever halftime show at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. The announcement marks a historic moment for the tournament, bringing together three of the world’s most influential musical acts for a singular global event.
Coldplay’s Chris Martin, who curated this year’s artists, announced the news in a social media video alongside Sesame Street‘s Elmo and Cookie Monster with Kermit, Miss Piggie, and more beloved characters from The Muppets. The July 19 event will take place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and raise funds for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, an initiative working to provide access to quality education and football for children worldwide.
Earlier this month, Shakira released ‘Dai Dai’, the official 2026 World Cup song with Burna Boy. This follows her iconic performance of ‘Waka, Waka (This Time for Africa)’ during the opening ceremony of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Madonna is set to return to the Tribeca Festival this summer with a new cinematic project tied to her forthcoming studio album, Confessions II, arriving July 3. The pop star recently live-debuted the LP’s lead single ‘Bring Your Love’ during Sabrina Carpenter’s headlining Weekend Two set at Coachella.
BTS also made a comeback earlier this year with the March release of their sixth studio album, Arirang, their first LP in nearly four years following the members’ mandatory military service in South Korea. The group brought their Arirang world tour to North America in April with a series of sold-out nights at Tampa, Florida’s Raymond James Stadium.
FIFA also recently announced that Katy Perry, Future, Anitta, Lisa, Rema, and Tyla will headline the opening ceremony of the first World Cup game in the United States on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.