Opening Ceremony Qatar 2022: Date, time and how to watch

The World Cup is the pinnacle of football, but it is also known for its extravagance.

Nowhere is this seen more than in the opening ceremony, which takes place just prior to the kick-off of the first match. For Qatar 2022, a star-studded event is expected to usher in the upcoming tournament, with several big names rumoured to feature.

Here’s what we know about the opening ceremony.

WHEN IS THE WORLD CUP OPENING CEREMONY?

Date: Sunday, November 20
Time: 5:00 p.m. AST (local) / 2:00 p.m. GMT / 9:00 a.m. ET

The opening ceremony will begin around two hours prior to the kick-off between hosts Qatar and Ecuador. The match was originally scheduled for Monday, Nov. 21, but was moved to a day earlier in order to shine a spotlight on the home nation without sharing attention with any other matches.

WHERE IS THE WORLD CUP OPENING CEREMONY?

The opening ceremony will take place at Al Bayt Stadium, the site of the opening match.

A 60,000-seat venue in Al Khor, the Al Bayt Stadium features a retractable roof and will be reduced in size by nearly half of its seating capacity after the World Cup.

Completed in November 2021, the stadium was used for the opening ceremony of the FIFA Arab Cup 2021. It also hosted five matches during that tournament, including the final.

At Qatar 2022, the stadium will host six group stage matches and three knockout games, including a semi-final.

WHICH ARTISTS ARE PERFORMING AT THE WORLD CUP OPENING CEREMONY?

As of Thursday evening (GMT), FIFA has yet to confirm the list of performers.

However, BTS member Jungkook has confirmed his participation in the ceremony. The K-Pop band announced via social media that he will be performing.

Additionally, reports indicate that Shakira, long associated with the World Cup, will perform in the opening ceremony. Similarly, Robbie Williams and the Black Eyed Peas are rumored to be among the performers.

One global star who will not be at the opening ceremony is singer Dua Lipa, who posted on her Instagram that rumors of her participation are false.

“There is currently a lot of speculation that I will be performing at the opening ceremony of the World Cup in Qatar,” she wrote.

“I will not be performing and nor have I ever been involved in any negotiation to perform.

HOW TO WATCH THE WORLD CUP OPENING CEREMONY

Middle East: Bein Sports
UK: BBC One
USA: FOX, Telemundo, fuboTV
Canada: CTV, TSN, RDS
Australia: SBS

For listings in your region, consult FIFA.com.