Katy Perry, Tyla and LISA in headlines of World Cup kickoff

The United States marked the second opening ceremony in Los Angeles with Southern California native Katy Perry. The singer took the stage minutes before the players entered the pitch, after earlier performances from East Coast rapper Future and other chart-toppers.

The 2026 tournament was hosted in all three countries and is set to be the largest ever, with 48 nations competing. Also performing in LA were Grammy-winning South African singer Tyla, Brazilian singer-songwriter Anitta, and LISA, from the K-pop group Blackpink.

“Welcome to the USA,” announced a booming voiceover, as a close-up of the city’s famous Hollywood sign flashed on giant screens at the SoFi Stadium, temporarily renamed the Los Angeles Stadium, on Friday.

Celebrities weren’t just on stage. Hollywood turned up at the stadium too, with stars Owen Wilson, Paris Hilton, and Sofia Vergara in the spectator stands. Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis also took to the pitch to lead a mini-flag parade.

Earlier in the day, Canada tied in its first match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, gaining its first-ever point in a World Cup. “We’re very excited. This is a long time coming,” said Peter Giacobbe, a Toronto native who is attending Canada games in both Toronto and Vancouver, the country’s second host city, along with his friend Robert McIntosh. “We woke up this morning, realising that this is making Canadian history together,” McIntosh said.

Fans of the national Bosnian team were equally excited. Hundreds arrived at the stadium in a separate march following the Canadian fans. Some told the BBC they travelled from their home country to watch their team play in the World Cup for the first time since 2014.

Others, like Bosnian-Canadian Layla Mesic, were closer to home. Mesic was at the stadium with her Canadian mother, who donned a Team Canada jersey while Mesic proudly sported the traditional yellow and blue. “To even qualify for the World Cup, it’s a big point of pride for us,” Mesic said. “Today I’m 100% Bosnian.”

She added that, to her, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. “It might have cost an arm and a leg, but I’m here.”

Alanis Morissette performed the national anthem to a cheering crowd. Michael Bublé, who performed with a choir, led the fans in the stands in a rousing rendition of Bring It on Home to Me, by Mississippi soul singer Sam Cooke. Along with Bublé and Morissette, performers for Canada’s opening ceremony included Canadian singer Alessia Cara, Palestinian singer-songwriter Elyanna, and Toronto natives Jessie Reyes and Nora Fatehi.

An indigenous artist from Manitoba, William Prince, also performed. Organisers said the list of performers was inspired by Canada’s communities and “rich diversity”. Across the street from the stadium, hundreds of other fans gathered at the Toronto Fan Zone, where tickets to enter were free on a first-come, first-served basis.

Getting tickets for the actual game “wasn’t even a consideration for us” because of the high cost, said Torontonian Angela Aco, who attended the fan zone celebration to cheer on Canada.

But she added it has been a great experience so far despite the heavier-than-normal traffic around the city. “It’s great to see people from all over the place,” Aco said. “We just roll with the punches.” Her favourite part of the opening ceremony? “Oh, Bublé did it for me.” While big-name celebrities are in attendance, neither US President Donald Trump nor Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was present at either of their countries’ opening matches. Instead, US state secretary Marco Rubio represented the White House in LA.

Meanwhile, Carney is in France for a working trip ahead of next week’s G7 summit. He is expected to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday. Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, also skipped her country’s first game on Thursday, saying she did so in protest over the tournament’s high ticket prices.

FIFA is also planning a star-studded show for the closing ceremony on July 19, where it will host its first-ever halftime show in its nearly 100-year history, modelled after similar spectacles at the Super Bowl.