FIFA has officially announced the performers for the opening ceremonies of the 2026 World Cup, and Nigerian singer Rema is among the headliners chosen for the Los Angeles edition of the event.
The 26-year-old, born Divine Ikubor, will take the stage at the Los Angeles Stadium on June 12 alongside South African artist Tyla, American rapper Future, pop icon Katy Perry, Brazilian singer Anitta, and LISA of BLACKPINK. FIFA confirmed the lineup through its official platforms on Saturday, noting that additional artists would be revealed ahead of the event.
The 2026 World Cup marks the first time in the tournament’s history that three simultaneous opening ceremonies will be held across host nations. Mexico City will stage the first on June 11, with Toronto and Los Angeles following on June 12. FIFA described the design as a deliberate effort to reflect the cultural character of each host country rather than staging a single centralized event.
What FIFA is building in Los Angeles
The Los Angeles ceremony will begin 90 minutes before kickoff, with gates opening four hours ahead of the match. FIFA has partnered with Balich Wonder Studio to produce all three ceremonies, with each featuring immersive storytelling, live performances, and large-scale visuals built around the FIFA World Cup Trophy.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino framed the Los Angeles lineup as a direct reflection of the city’s identity as a global entertainment hub. He described the selected artists as representing the cultural diversity of the United States and the influence of its many diasporic communities, connecting the musical choices to the country’s broader role in shaping global pop culture.
The tournament runs from June 11 through July 19, when the final will be held at the New York-New Jersey Stadium. The competition spans 104 matches across 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
The full picture across all three ceremonies
The lineup for Toronto’s ceremony features Canadian artists including Alanis Morissette, Alessia Cara, Michael Bublé, Jessie Reyez, Nora Fateh, Elvanna, Sanjov, Vegedream, and William Prince, drawing heavily from Canada’s diverse musical landscape.
Mexico City’s ceremony will spotlight a roster of Latin stars including J Balvin, Maná, Alejandro Fernández, Belinda, Danny Ocean, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules, and Tvla.
The World Cup also has an official theme song. Shakira and Grammy-winning Nigerian artist Burna Boy recorded Dai Dai together, a reggaetón-inflected Afrobeats track described as a song about resilience and inner strength. Shakira announced the collaboration last week, sharing footage of a rehearsal performance at Brazil’s Maracanã Stadium.
Rema and the growing footprint of Nigerian music
Rema’s selection for the Los Angeles ceremony extends a pattern that has been building for more than a decade. Nigerian artists have steadily earned positions at some of football’s most prominent stages, a trajectory that tracks closely with the global rise of Afrobeats.
Davido became the first Nigerian artist to perform at a World Cup closing ceremony when he appeared at the 2022 tournament in Qatar, delivering the official anthem alongside Aisha and Trinidad Cardona. Burna Boy made his own mark in 2023 as the first African artist to perform at a UEFA Champions League final, taking the stage in Istanbul before millions of viewers worldwide.
Rema himself performed his global hit Calm Down at the 2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony, becoming the first African artist to appear at that event. The pattern stretches back further still, to D’banj’s 2013 Africa Cup of Nations performance and Kizz Daniel’s turn at the 2022 FIFA Fan Festival in Qatar.
Each appearance has added another data point to the same argument. Afrobeats is no longer an emerging genre seeking international recognition. It is a fixture at the world’s largest events, and Rema’s place on the Los Angeles stage in June is its most visible confirmation yet.
