Before a ball is kicked at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, an opening ceremony will signal the official start of the tournament.
Opening ceremonies are a common part of major sporting events and FIFA have made a habit of delivering star-studded events in the past.
The 2022 tournament looks poised to deliver on this front too with music icons lined up to kickoff proceedings.
The Sporting News brings you all you need to know about the 2022 World Cup opening ceremony.
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What time is the World Cup opening ceremony?
- Date: November 20
- Time: 17:00 local / 09:00 ET / 14:00 GMT / 01:00 (Nov 21) AEDT
As is custom, the 2022 World Cup opening ceremony will take place around two hours prior to the first match of the tournament.
In this case, that game will be between hosts Qatar and Ecuador on November 20 with a scheduled kickoff time of 19:00 (local time).
That fixture was originally scheduled to take place on November 21 but was subsequently shifted by organisers.
“The change ensures the continuity of a long-standing tradition of marking the start of the FIFA World Cup with an opening ceremony on the occasion of the first match featuring either the hosts or the defending champions,” a FIFA statement read.
“The decision followed an assessment of the competition and operational implications, as well as a thorough consultation process and an agreement with key stakeholders and the host country.”
Where is the World Cup opening ceremony?
The 2022 World Cup opening ceremony will take place at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar.
This is also the venue for the first game of the World Cup which will see Qatar and Ecuador kick off the tournament.
Al Bayt Stadium has a capacity of 60,000 people and was only opened in November 2021.
World Cup opening ceremony performers and artists
FIFA are yet to confirm who will be performing at the 2022 World Cup opening ceremony.
According to various reports, Shakira, who famously performed at previous opening ceremonies, will be among the entertainers.
Jungkook, one of the members of BTS, is also set to perform based on a tweet from the South Korean band.
Other possible performers that have been mentioned include: Black Eyed Peas, J Balvin, Nora Fatehi and Patrick Nnaemeka Okorie.
American rapper Lil Baby released an official anthem for the World Cup in late September and tweeted confirmation not long after that he would be performing at the tournament in some capacity.
The 2018 World Cup in Russia saw the likes of Will Smith, Robbie Williams and Aida Garifullina perform.
Who refused to perform at the World Cup opening ceremony?
Pop star Dua Lipa was one name previously linked to appearing at the opening ceremony but she shut down those rumours on November 13.
“There is currently a lot of speculation that I will be performing at the opening ceremony of the World Cup in Qatar,” she posted on her Instagram story at the time.
“I will not be performing and nor have I ever been involved in any negotiation to perform.
“I will be cheering England on from afar…One love, Dua.”
Sir Rod Stewart also recently revealed he turned down a lucrative offer to perform in Qatar over a year ago.
“I was actually offered a lot of money, over $1 million, to play there 15 months ago,” Stewart told The Sunday Times.
“I turned it down. It’s not right to go.”
How to watch World Cup opening ceremony live
The 2022 World Cup opening ceremony will attract a huge global audience with the event set to be televised and streamed in various ways across the world.
| Date | Time | TV | Stream | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | Nov. 20 | 9:00 | FOX, Telemundo | fuboTV, Fox Sports app, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo |
| Canada | Nov. 20 | 9:00 | CTV, TSN | fuboTV, TSN app |
| UK | Nov. 20 | 14:00 | BBC One | BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport Website |
| Australia | Nov. 21 | 01:00 | SBS | SBS On Demand |
| New Zealand |
Nov. 21 | 03:00 | Sky Sport | Sky Sport |
| India | Nov. 20 | 19:00 | Sports 18 | Voot |
| Malaysia | Nov. 20 | 22:00 | RTM, Astro | Astro Go |
| Singapore | Nov. 20 | 22:00 | Mediacorp Channel 5 | StarHub TV+, IPTV, Singtel TV |
| Hong Kong | Nov. 20 | 22:00 | BeIN Sports, ITV | Now TV, ViuTV |