Madonna, Shakira, and BTS are set to headline the first-ever halftime show during the FIFA World Cup Final, marking a major expansion of entertainment programming around the world’s biggest soccer tournament.
FIFA announced the performance lineup Wednesday night in a social media video featuring Chris Martin alongside beloved Muppets characters, including Elmo, Miss Piggy, Kermit the Frog, and Animal.
In the video announcement, Martin emphasized the spirit of unity behind the performance.
“But this show is more about we than me,” Martin said, Hollywood Reporter notes. “I mean, it’s about togetherness.”
The halftime performance will take place on July 19 during the World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium, which is expected to host one of the most-watched sporting events on the planet. In the United States, tournament coverage will air on Fox in English and Telemundo in Spanish.
According to FIFA, the event will also help support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, an initiative focused on improving access to education and soccer opportunities for children worldwide.
The halftime show concept is relatively new for FIFA. The organization first experimented with a large-scale entertainment performance during last year’s Club World Cup, when J Balvin, Doja Cat, and Tems performed in a show also curated in partnership with Global Citizen and Chris Martin.
The addition of halftime entertainment reflects the growing crossover between major sporting events and large-scale music productions. Events such as the Super Bowl halftime show have long demonstrated the massive audience reach of combining sports and music, and other leagues have increasingly experimented with similar concepts in recent years.
This year’s FIFA World Cup officially begins June 11, with matches scheduled across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It also marks the first time the United States has hosted World Cup matches since the 1994 tournament.
With Madonna, Shakira, and BTS sharing one stage, FIFA appears determined to turn the World Cup Final into not only a global sports event, but one of the biggest live music spectacles of the year as well.
Madonna, Shakira And BTS To Headline FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show
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