Few moments at a major sporting event generate as much immediate online noise as a celebrity performance that divides opinion the second it ends. On June 12, 2026, Katy Perry took center stage at the FIFA World Cup 2026 United States opening ceremony at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, and within minutes, her performance became one of the most talked-about moments of the entire tournament launch. Here is the full picture of what happened, what she performed, and how the world responded.
Katy Perry FIFA 2026 Performance Overview
| Detail | Info |
| Performer | Katy Perry |
| Event | FIFA World Cup 2026 US Opening Ceremony |
| Venue | SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, California |
| Date | June 12, 2026 |
| Song Performed | “Wonder” (from her album 143) |
| Special Guest | Tius Luka, 10-year-old Norwegian singer |
| Outfit | Sculptural silver Stella McCartney gown |
| Match Following | USA vs Paraguay |
| Ceremony Start Time | 1:30 p.m. EST / 4:30 p.m. PST |
| Broadcast | Fox Sports and Telemundo |
What Katy Perry Actually Performed
Perry performed the song “Wonder” from her most recent album 143, sharing the stage with Tius Luka, a 10-year-old Norwegian singer who co-wrote the track’s hook. This marked the first time Perry performed the song live, which she had teased as a surprise ahead of the ceremony.
Earlier in the week, Perry had attended the Tribeca Festival premiere of her concert film Katy Perry: The Lifetimes Tour Live from Paris in New York City on June 8, 2026, where she spoke to PEOPLE about what audiences could expect.
“It’s very fitting for the ceremonial song that I get to sing,” she said. “And it’s not new. It’s off of one of my records, and I’m very excited to perform it.”
At the time she declined to name the track, but the performance itself revealed it to be “Wonder”, a collaborative track with Tius Luka, whose hook the young Norwegian artist wrote and which a larger writing team then developed into a full song.
The Outfit That Stole the Conversation
Perry wore a sculptural silver Stella McCartney gown for the ceremony, a dramatic silhouette featuring an exaggerated shape and long shimmering strands under the stadium lights. The visual impact was immediate, though not entirely in the direction intended.
Social media reacted quickly, with fans comparing the dress to a range of objects including a Hershey’s Kiss chocolate wrapper, Christmas tinsel, a lampshade, and the Stanley Cup. One viewer wrote that the dress had a wide structured shape that stood out even on a busy global broadcast stage. Another simply wrote, “What is she wearing? My wife says she had a lamp like that when she was a kid.”
The outfit was designed by Stella McCartney and clearly built for spectacle at a global sporting event. However, the online response made the dress the defining visual story of the ceremony rather than the performance itself.
The Fan Reaction to the Vocal Performance
Beyond the outfit, Perry’s vocal delivery also generated significant debate online. Some viewers were critical of the performance, with comments on social media describing her vocals as unsteady.
Representative reactions from fans included comments such as “Katy Perry is screeching, are her in-ears not working?” and “She can’t sing and she looked ridiculous. We could’ve done so much better, USA.” Others suggested she may not have been performing fully live, though this was speculation from viewers rather than confirmed fact.
However, not all reactions were negative. Several viewers pushed back on the criticism, with some noting the performance “sounded fine on the live stream” and others pointing out that stadium acoustics and broadcast audio quality can make any live performance sound different depending on how you watch. A number of fans also defended Perry, noting that large-scale ceremony performances are notoriously difficult environments for vocalists.
It is also worth noting that the song itself, “Wonder”, features high notes in the chorus section written and originally performed by a 10-year-old, which some observers pointed out may not have sat naturally within Perry’s current vocal range for a live performance setting.
Who Else Performed at the US Ceremony
Perry headlined the US ceremony, but the full lineup featured several major artists performing ahead of the USA vs Paraguay match:
| Performer | Notes |
| Katy Perry | Performed “Wonder” with Tius Luka |
| Future | Performed during the ceremony |
| BLACKPINK’s Lisa | Performed alongside Anitta and Rema |
| Anitta | Brazilian pop artist |
| Rema | Nigerian Afrobeats artist |
| Tyla | South African singer |
| Dan + Shay | Performed the US national anthem |
| Purahei Soul | Performed the Paraguay national anthem |
The Full Three-Ceremony Picture
The 2026 FIFA World Cup featured three separate opening ceremonies to reflect its three host nations. Here is how each one unfolded:
Mexico City Ceremony (June 11, 2026) at Estadio Azteca:
Shakira and Burna Boy headlined, delivering the world premiere of the official World Cup anthem “Dai Dai”. Other performers included Alejandro Fernandez, Belinda, Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Los Angeles Azules, and Mana. Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and Korean-American singer EJAE also performed the official FIFA anthem “DNA”.
Toronto Ceremony (June 12, 2026) at BMO Field:
Michael Buble and Alanis Morissette headlined, with the Canadian national team facing Bosnia and Herzegovina. Other performers included Alessia Cara, Elyanna, Jessie Reyez, Nora Fatehi, Sanjoy, Vegedream, and William Prince.
Los Angeles Ceremony (June 12, 2026) at SoFi Stadium:
Katy Perry headlined alongside Future, BLACKPINK’s Lisa, Anitta, Rema, and Tyla, ahead of the USA vs Paraguay match.
What Comes Next: The World Cup Final Halftime Show
For fans already thinking ahead, the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final takes place on July 19, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. In a first for the tournament, the final will feature an NFL-style halftime show, co-headlined by Madonna, Shakira, and BTS, with the event curated by Chris Martin in partnership with Global Citizen.
The tournament itself runs through July 19, featuring 48 competing nations across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
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