Madonna, Shakira and BTS announced for Fifa World Cup half-time show
Madonna, Shakira and BTS will perform in the first ever World Cup half-time show, curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.
The three global superstar acts are set to appear on the pitch at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey during an extended interval to the final on Sunday 19 July.
Martin announced the line-up today – four weeks out from the World Cup’s opening match – in a video alongside puppets from Sesame Street and the Muppets.
The show is being produced by social action organisation Global Citizen, which is working with Fifa to raise $100m for an education fund via World Cup ticket sales.
It is designed to emulate the popularity of the NFL’s Super Bowl half-time show, which rivals the game itself for prominence and generates the world’s most expensive TV advertising slots.
Fifa copy NFL Super Bowl half-time show
Madonna, the best-selling female music artist of all time, headlined the 2012 Super Bowl half-time show, which saw British rapper MIA fined for raising her middle finger.
Shakira, whose track Waka Waka (This Time For Africa) was the official song of the 2010 Fifa World Cup, co-headlined the NFL show with fellow Latin star Jennifer Lopez in 2020.
K-Pop sensations BTS are in the midst of a huge comeback world tour after all seven members completed their mandatory military service in South Korea last year.
The Super Bowl half-time show typically lasts 25-30 minutes and it is anticipated that Fifa’s version will also extend beyond the standard length of 15 minutes.
Football fans have been lukewarm towards musical performances at marquee matches, with Camila Cabello jeered during her show before the 2022 Champions League final.
Fifa announced the introduction of a World Cup half-time show more than a year ago and staged one, featuring Doja Cat and J Balvin, during the final of last summer’s Club World Cup, also at the MetLife Stadium.