South African star to perform at FIFA World Cup opening ceremony
Bafana Bafana will go head-to-head with Mexico in the opening match.
South Africa’s very own global sensation, Tyla, is officially heading to the 2026 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony.
The ‘Water’ singer has been confirmed as one of the star performers for the FIFA World Cup opening ceremony in Mexico in June.
The ceremony is set to take place at Mexico City Stadium on 11 June, just before Bafana Bafana take on the hosts in the tournament’s opening match.
FIFA shared the details this week, confirming that the ceremony will start 90 minutes before kick-off.
The Grammy winner is expected to perform fan favourites such as 'Truth or Dare' and 'Chanel', along with her newest collaboration with Zara Larsson, 'She Did It Again'.
Other performers include Latino stars such as J Balvin, Danny Ocean and Lila Downs, but it is Tyla Seethal who will bring that unmistakable South African flavour as a headline act.
Three World Cup opening ceremonies
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is not just bringing world-class football, it is also bringing not one but three star-studded opening ceremonies.
The ceremonies will take place across the USA, Canada and Mexico.
The global party starts on Thursday, 11 June, where Tyla will perform.
The following day, 12 June, the celebrations will move to Toronto, where Canadian icons Michael Bublé and Alanis Morissette are set to headline the festivities at BMO Field.
In Los Angeles, the star power continues at SoFi Stadium.
Pop star Katy Perry and rapper Future will take to the stage before the USA begin their campaign against Paraguay.
Bafana Bafana
The focus will obviously also be on Bafana Bafana, who have qualified for the 2026 World Cup.
The tournament runs from 11 June to 19 July and will feature 48 countries battling it out across 104 matches at 16 different stadiums.
South Africa is locked into Group A, with three matches on the cards:
- 11 June: vs Mexico
- 18 June: vs Czechia
- 25 June: vs South Korea
Bafana Bafana has yet to move beyond the group stages in previous attempts of the World Cup.
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Image: TikTok/ Screenshot