MADONNA, SHAKIRA AND BTS ANNOUNCED AS CO-HEADLINERS FOR FIRST EVER HALFTIME SHOW AT THE 2026 WORLD CUP FINAL

The 2026 World Cup final will take place on Sunday, July 19, at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey

Shakira, BTS and Madonna.
Credit : Kevin Mazur/Getty; Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty; Marc Nader/ZUMA Wire/Shutterstock

The 2026 World Cup final is going to have some global superstars headlining its first ever halftime show.

On Wednesday, May 13, the official FIFA World Cup Instagram account announced that Madonna, Shakira and BTS will be performing at the final in July. 

“On July 19, the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Halftime Show is coming to New York New Jersey Stadium, featuring superstars@madonna ,@shakira , and@bts.bighitofficial , curated by@coldplay ‘s Chris Martin!” the post read.

The tournament’s final will be held at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, with the match kicking off at 3 p.m. ET. 

Madonna performs at Coachella 2026.
Kevin Mazur/Getty

The post added, “A FIFA World Cup first, the Halftime Show supports the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, a landmark initiative working to raise $100 USD million to expand access to quality education and football for children around the world. Throughout the tournament, USD 1 from every ticket sold to FIFA World Cup 2026 matches will be donated to the Fund.”

Coldplay frontman Chris Martin also shared the news in an Instagram video featuring BTS on FaceTime, along with the help of Sesame Street’s Elmo and Muppets characters Kermit, Miss Piggy, Animal, the Cookie Monster and Statler and Waldorf. 

This will be the first time a halftime show has taken place during a World Cup final.

The news comes after Madonna announced her new album Confessions II last month and made a surprise appearance at Coachella during Sabrina Carpenter's headlining set. The Queen of Pop’s new record, a sequel to her 2005 hit album Confessions on a Dancefloor, will be released on July 3.

The 2026 World Cup, which is being jointly hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico and features 48 teams, begins on June 11 when Mexico take on South Africa. 

Earlier this month, the likes of Katy Perry, J Balvin, Future, Michael Bublé, Tyla and Lisa were announced to be among those performing at the three opening ceremonies of the soccer tournament.

Shakira performing in New York City in September 2025.
Theo Wargo/Getty 

While Perry will headline the U.S. opening ceremony on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, J Blavin will headline the opening ceremony in Mexico City and Bublé, Alanis Morissette and Alessia Cara will co-headline in Toronto.

According to Variety, the soccer World Cup Finals are the most-watched annual sporting event, with the 2022 final drawing in more than 500 million live viewers.

- Kirsty Hatcher

KATY PERRY, FUTURE, LISA, TYLA, AND MORE TO HEADLINE U.S. WORLD CUP OPENING CEREMONY

 OPENING CEREMONY

FIFA will feature a star-powered lineup of performances at the opening games featuring hosts Canada, Mexico and the U.S

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LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 13: Katy Perry performs during her "The Life Of Times" tour on October 13, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Joseph Okpako/WireImage)

The megastars for the opening ceremony of the first World Cup game in the United States have been announced. Katy Perry, Future, Anitta, LISA, Rema, and Tyla will headline the celebrations on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The U.S. will face Paraguay in the tournament’s opening match.

Opening celebrations will also be held in Mexico and Toronto on June 11 and June 12 — marking the first time FIFA has featured multiple opening ceremonies across different countries for a single tournament. In Canada, Alanis Morissette, Alessia Cara, Elyanna, Jessie Reyez, Michael Bublé, Nora Fatei, Sanjoy, Vegedream and William Prince will take the stage to celebrate the opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina at Toronto’s BMO Field.

Meanwhile, the opening ceremony in Mexico will include J Balvin, Tyla, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules, Maná, Alejandro Fernández, Belinda, and Danny Ocean before the tournament opener on June 11 between Mexico and South Africa at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium.

“This opening ceremony in Los Angeles represents the extraordinary scale of what the FIFA World Cup 2026 will become,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement. “The lineup of artists 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.”

More artists are expected to be announced. Host cities in the U.S. will include Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York/New Jersey. Ceremonies are set to begin 90 minutes before kickoff.

- CHARISMA MADARANG, RollingStone

MADONNA & SABRINA CARPENTER SORRY, KNICKS!!! We Don't Have You On Our VIP List

NY Knicks' Players Turned Away From Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter's Met Gala After Party

Some New York Knicks' players went from courtside glory to curbside rejection ... getting turned away from one of the hottest Met Gala after-after parties in NYC ... TMZ has learned.

Multiple sources tell TMZ ... several Knicks stars tried to hit up Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter's ultra-exclusive bash at Zero Bond late Monday night -- just hours after their Game 1 playoff win -- but couldn't get past the door.

In case you didn't know ... the Knicks didn't just win .... they obliterated Philly 137-98 and made history in the process as the first NBA team ever to win three consecutive playoff games by 25 points or more.

We're told the party, held on the club's main 5th floor, was locked down tight with a strict guest list capped at around 200 people ... even though the space can hold nearly double that.

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Translation ... if you weren't on the list -- or tried sneaking in a plus one -- you were out of luck.

The Knicks weren't alone either ... plenty of known faces got turned away as Madonna and Sabrina kept the vibe intentionally intimate.

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Inside, though, it was a full-on A-list scene. Katy Perry, Margot Robbie, Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner all made it in, along with Serena Williams, Baz Luhrmann, Adrien Brody, Georgina Chapman, plus Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez.

And in a small world moment ... Katy and Orlando Bloom ended up under the same roof ... famous exes, but we're told no drama in sight.

Earlier in the night, most of the crowd bounced between the usual Met Gala circuit -- including the GQ and Saint Laurent parties -- before landing at the Zero Bond bash, which kicked off around 1 AM and ran until about 4 AM.

Security was no joke either. Our sources say the entire block around the venue was shut down and heavily guarded. We're told some of the rejected players headed over to The Box.

The Knicks may be making history on the court ... but off it? Not even a 39-point blowout was enough to score all access.

- TMZ

SNOOP DOGG TO HEADLINE AFL GRAND FINAL ENTERTAINMENT

The AFL has guaranteed this grand final’s pre-game will be entertaining – and different.

Iconic American rapper Snoop Dogg has been confirmed to headline the pre-game show on September 27 at the MCG.

He was an unlikely and undisputed star of last year’s Paris Olympics, joining TV personality Martha Stewart to provide commentary for NBC.

The pair went to the dressage final dressed in full equestrian gear, including helmets.

“100,000 fans. And the two best teams. And your boy big Snoop D-O-double G at the M-C-G,” the rapper said in his video announcement on Tuesday.

“Can’t wait to see y’all in September for the Telstra pre-game entertainment brought to you by … me.”

He’s the latest big-name international act lured to the grand final, following Robbie Williams, Katy Perry and Kiss.

Snoop Dogg was a man about town at the Paris Olympics, taking old friend Martha Stewart to the dressage.

Snoop Dogg’s career spans more than three decades and features hits such as Gin and Juice, Drop It Like It’s Hot, Beautiful and Young, and Wild & Free.

In 2007, he was banned from applying for a visa to enter Australia to co-host the MTV Music Video Awards. Then immigration minister Kevin Andrews said he did not meet the “character requirements”, due to convictions for drug and firearm offences.

But times have definitely changed, with the AFL rolling out the red carpet.

“The AFL grand final is the biggest event on the Australian sporting calendar – and this year, it just got a whole lot bigger,” chief executive Andrew Dillon said.

“Snoop Dogg is a pioneer, a performer, and a true entertainer. He’s played to packed stadiums around the world – but we think 100,000 fans at the MCG might just be his most iconic crowd yet.

“We want grand final day to be an unforgettable celebration of footy – and beyond the four quarters of the match, a celebration of culture, energy, and entertainment. Snoop fits that brief better than anyone.

“From Long Beach to the biggest stage in Australian sport, Snoop Dogg is coming to the MCG. And we’re ready to make history.”

He said Snoop Dogg he had toured since his visa ban, and expected no issues.

“If you saw his performance at the end of the Olympics, he’s got family-friendly ways of doing that,” he said.

Dillon also said the rapper would probably collaborate with local artists as part of his pre-game set.

Quizzed on the announcement later on Tuesday, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan was low key.

“I’m going to make a confession. I’m really only a Snoop Dogg fan when he’s collaborating with Katy Perry, which probably gives you the answer,” she said, when asked for her favourite song by the rapper.

“But look, it’s great that he’s coming … It’s an international event, the AFL grand final, and having an international act headline that event is another great win.”

Elsewhere, Dillon said Snoop Dogg already supported the Western Bulldogs and might find his way into the commentary box on grand final day.

“That’s a very good question – he’s all-in on it, he has his Sherrin and he’s practising his handball, his kicking skill,” he said.

“Who knows, he might get a little cameo in the commentary box as well.”

- The New Daily with AAP