MILAN (AP) — world cup Produced by the same Italian producers who produced the opening ceremonies for this year’s Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, it will feature three unprecedented star-studded opening ceremonies for host countries the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Marko Baric has just returned olympic opening ceremonywhich also included a parade of athletes across four venueswhich has a team of 260 to 300 people in each city, said it was open to the challenge of producing three shows in three cities.
Baric said the unifying theme of the ceremony will be “a celebration of sport, a passion for football, symbolized by the cup itself.” “The idea is to speak in three perspectives and languages, using design aesthetics that are representative of each culture.”
In Canada, mosaics express multicultural identity. According to Balic, who also produced the opening ceremony for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Mexico’s motif will be a traditional paper-cutting called “papel picado,” while the United States’ motif will be “a super shiny cup.”
Baric said it was a “very good sign” that Canada, Mexico and the United States are working together to host a “peaceful World Cup.”
Balic, founder of Balic Wonder Studio, said: “I think it’s very important to highlight the fact that three countries are working together to organize a very important and relevant championship, especially at a time when there is so much controversy on the political front. But people are people and will come together and have fun.”
While each ceremony will feature the best artistic performances that draw on the nation’s identity, Baric said spectators should not expect Super Bowl-style halftime extravaganza. Instead, the ceremony will include a combination of welcome speeches, a flag parade, game ball unveiling and approximately 30 minutes of musical entertainment.
“This is a celebration of football, FIFA and the fact that football brings people together in peace and harmony,” Balic said.
Each ceremony will be held approximately 90 minutes before game time, after a 25-minute warm-up for the players, and organizers hope to encourage spectators to arrive early.
The Super Bowl “is famous only in the United States, but other countries around the world play soccer and share that passion,” Baric said.
The festival will kick off in Mexico City on June 11 ahead of the Mexico City vs. South Africa game, with shows featuring Latin rock band Mana, Colombian singer J Balvin and South African pop star Tyra.
With Alanis Morissette and Michael Bublé as headliners, they continue play in Toronto on June 12 before playing Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina, before opening the season with the U.S. vs. Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium later that day.
International stars will take to the stage at Los Angeles Stadium, including Katy Perry, global pop star Lisa, Nigerian Afrobeats star Rema, Brazilian pop artist Anitta and hip-hop artist Future.
Italian producers have enjoyed the distinction of producing the world’s two biggest sporting ceremonies this year, the 2026 Winter Games Opening Ceremony and the 2026 World Cup, despite Italy missing the World Cup for the third year in a row.
“It’s actually very encouraging to be able to compensate for the sad news of Italy’s absence this time,” Baric said, adding that Italy’s absence was “a disaster for us, but it also allowed us to be very fair in celebrating each country in a similar way.”
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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
