When is World Cup 2026 closing ceremony and who is performing?

FIFA is throwing a star-studded send-off for the biggest World Cup in history, ahead of the first kick of the ball in the final. There will also be a big-budget half-time show. Here’s everything that has been confirmed so far. Robbie Williams is set to belt out footy anthem ‘Desire’ at the World Cup 2026 closing ceremony Credit: Getty Nicole Scherzinger is also scheduled to perform Credit: Getty When is the World Cup 2026 closing ceremony? The closing ceremony will be held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, just outside New York, ahead of the final on Sunday, July 19, 2026. Fifa‘s official media release states the ceremony starts at 6.30pm (1.30pm ET), 90 minutes before kick-off. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! Fans with tickets can get into the stadium from 11am local time, four hours before the match. Fifa said supporters inside the ground will enjoy “a full suite of experiences… including exclusive activations, rewards and additional pre-match entertainment.” Read more on the World Cup The show will celebrate the 48 competing teams’ journey across the tournament’s three host countries and 16 host cities. Fifa chief operating officer Heimo Schirgi said: “Echoing the spirit of the opening ceremonies, which welcomed the world to the greatest stage in Canada, Mexico and the United States, the closing ceremony will bring the Fifa World Cup 2026 full circle through music, culture and football, before we kick off the highly anticipated match that will crown the champions of this groundbreaking tournament.” Who is performing at the closing ceremony? Tom Cruise is set for a special appearance, following his role in the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics, where he performed a spectacular multi-stage stunt to symbolically pass the Olympic flag to the 2028 host city, Los Angeles. He was also spotted earlier in the tournament taking in USA and Paraguay in LA on June 12. Most read in World Cup Tom will be joined by stars including Nicole Scherzinger and IShowSpeed. Robbie Williams will also be on hand to belt out his Fifa football anthem ‘Desire‘ with Italian pop star Laura Pausini Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award winner Jennifer Hudson will perform the US national anthem ahead of the final. Fifa says more artists and special guests could be announced in the coming days. What is the World Cup final half-time show? A separate Super Bowl style half-time show will run during the final’s mid-match interval, curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin. It is the first time a World Cup final has featured a half-time performance. The musical segment itself lasts around 11 minutes, but the full halftime interval is expected to stretch to somewhere between 20 and 30 minutes to allow for the stage to be built and cleared, well beyond the usual 15-minute break. Law 7 of the Laws of the Game states that halftime should not exceed 15 minutes, though it also allows competition organisers to set the duration and permits changes with the referee’s agreement. Madonna is performing at the World Cup final half-time show Credit: Splash The elite list of co-headliners for the half-time show are Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira, and South Korean boyband BTS. The incredible line-up will also feature performances from Burna Boy, Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel, and the PS22 Chorus – a choir of school children from Staten Island – joined by Coldplay. There will also be appearances from characters from Sesame Street and The Muppets. The performance supports the Fifa Global Citizen Education Fund, which is aiming to raise $100million (£75million) to expand access to education and football for children worldwide, with a dollar from every match ticket sold going towards the fund. How can I watch it in the UK? The World Cup final is being shown on both BBC One and ITV1. At the time of writing, it is unclear whether the broadcasters will be showing the full closing ceremony, or just the highlights. Coverage is set to begin on ITV at 6.45pm, while on the BBC it starts from 7pm. There is a chance both broadcasters may offer a live stream of the pre-match ceremony via their streaming services, though this is not yet confirmed. ITV bosses told The Sun they will broadcast the half-time show in full alongside the usual football analysis. A BBC spokesperson said: “Plans for the final will be announced in due course.” Comment now