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Watch the 2026 World Cup opening ceremony live streams from anywhere with a VPN as the action from Mexico, Canada, and the U.S. gets underway in style.
- When: Thursday, June 11 (Mexico) at 1:30 p.m. ET / Friday, June 12 (Canada) at 1:30 p.m. ET / Saturday, June 13 (U.S.) at 7:30 p.m. ET.
- Free Streams: ITV and BBC iPlayer (U.K.) / SBS On Demand (AUS)
- U.S. Stream: Fox via YouTube TV / Sling / Fubo
- Watch Anywhere: Norton VPN (60-day money back guarantee)
- More: How to watch the World Cup 2026
The biggest World Cup to date is about to being across North America and Mexico, but before a ball is officially kicked, there's the small matter of the opening ceremony to deal with.
It's set to be a bumper event, with the show starting in Mexico City at Estadio Banorte. The likes of Shakira and Burna Boy will perform there ahead of the kick-off between Mexico and South Africa.
On Friday, Canada will put on their own show prior to their game against Bosnia-Herzegovina, with Michael Buble the star attraction. Then, the U.S. will get their turn, with Katy Perry, Future, and Tyla taking the stage at the SoFi Stadium ahead of the USMNT vs Paraguay.
Here's how to watch the World Cup 2026 opening ceremony online and on TV — starting with free streaming options.
Can you watch the World Cup 2026 opening ceremony for free?
BBC and ITV will be showing the ceremonies in the U.K. with ITV having Mexico's opening ceremony and BBC showing the Canada and the U.S. ceremonies.
SBS On Demand is an option in Australia for all three and you will also be able to watch the Mexican and American ceremonies for no cost on Tubi in the U.S..
Free options are also available in Belgium, Brazil, Netherlands, Germany and Turkey and many other countries.
🌎 Abroad and can't access your free stream? You need Norton VPN — more on that below.
How to watch the World Cup 2026 opening ceremony from anywhere
The World Cup is about to begin, but if you’re overseas, your usual opening ceremony stream might be unavailable due to regional restrictions.
A VPN offers a simple workaround by letting you connect through servers in different countries, so you can watch your regular World Cup coverage as if you were at home. Norton VPN is our favorite option for streaming:
How to watch World Cup 2026 opening ceremony live streams in the U.S.
The World Cup 2026 opening ceremonies will air on Fox in the US with Tubi having free-to-air coverage of the Mexican and US variants.
You can access Fox through a cord-cutting service like YouTube TV, Hulu+Live TV, Sling (select markets), Fubo or DirecTV Stream.
Fox One is also another option to stream the opening ceremonies with plans starting at $19.99/month after a 3-day free trial.
Abroad today? You need a VPN like Norton VPN to help you access the stream.
How to watch World Cup 2026 opening ceremony live streams in the U.K.
In the U.K. you can stream the World Cup 2026 opening ceremony on ITV on Thursday, June 11 ahead of the game between Mexico and South Africa (which kicks off at 8 p.m. BST).
You'll be able to see the opening ceremonies from Canada and USA on BBC. Specifically, the BBC One channel will air Canada vs Bosnia-Herzegovina (Friday, June 12 at 7 p.m. BST) and USA vs Paraguay (Saturday, June 13 at 1:30 a.m. BST).
To watch live action on either service you will need a U.K. postcode (e.g. HA9 0AA) and a valid TV license.
Want to watch your free coverage of the World Cup? Norton VPN can help you watch your usual service from abroad.
How to watch World Cup 2026 opening ceremony live streams in Canada
In Canada, TSN are broadcasting the World Cup opening ceremonies. You can see the one in Mexico City on Thursday, June 11 with coverage starting at 2:45 p.m. ADT.
You can watch along on TSN+ in Canada.TSN+ packages starts at $8 a month and will include every game of the World Cup, including the opening ceremonies.
CTV will also have the ceremonies from Mexico and Canada for free with a TV provider login.
If you live in Canada but aren't at home right now, you can watch your stream by using Norton VPN.
How to watch World Cup 2026 opening ceremony live streams in Australia
In Australia, free-to-air broadcaster SBS will broadcast all the action from the tournament including the World Cup 2026 opening ceremonies.
The easiest way to access this is via SBS On Demand.
Not in Australia right now? Access your free streams for the World Cup using Norton VPN.
World Cup 2026 opening ceremony — Need to Know
What date and time are the World Cup opening ceremonies?
Here are the dates and start times for the three World Cup opening ceremonies around the world:
- Australia: 3:30 a.m. AEST (June 12 - Mexico), 3:30 a.m. AEST (June 13 - Canada), 9:30 a.m. AEST (June 14 - USA)
- Brazil: 2:30 p.m. (June 11 - Mexico), 2:30 p.m. (June 12 - Canada), 8:30 p.m. (June 12 - USA)
- Canada: 2:30 p.m. ADT (June 11 - Mexico), 2:30 p.m. ADT (June 12 - Canada), 8:30 p.m. ADT (June 12 - USA)
- Central Europe: 7:30 p.m. (June 11 - Mexico), 7:30 p.m. (June 12 - Canada), 1:30 a.m. (June 13 - USA)
- India: 11 p.m. (June 11 - Mexico), 11 p.m. (June 12 - Canada), 5 a.m. (June 13 - USA)
- Mexico: 11:30 a.m. (June 11 - Mexico), 11:30 a.m. (June 12 - Canada), 5:30 p.m. (June 12 - USA)
- New Zealand: 5:30 a.m. (June 12 - Mexico), 5:30 a.m. (June 13 - Canada), 11:30 a.m. (June 13 - USA)
- South Africa: 7:30 p.m. (June 11 - Mexico), 7:30 p.m. (June 12 - Canada), 1:30 a.m. (June 13 - USA)
- U.S.: 1:30 p.m. ET (June 11 - Mexico), 1:30 p.m. ET (June 12 - Canada), 7:30 p.m ET (June 12 - USA)
- U.K.: 6:30 p.m. BST (June 11 - Mexico), 6:30 p.m. BST (June 12 - Canada), 12:30 a.m. BST (June 13 - USA)
Where are the World Cup 2026 opening ceremonies being hosted?
The opening ceremony in Mexico will take place at Estadio Banorte in Mexico City.
The opening ceremony in Canada will take place at BMO Field in Toronto.
The third and final opening ceremony in the USA will take place at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
Who is performing at the World Cup opening ceremonies?
Mexico: Shakira, Burna Boy, Mana, Alejandro Fernandez, J Balvin, Belinda, Danny Ocean, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules, and Tyla.
Canada: Jessie Reyez, Elyanna, Michael Buble, Nora Fatehi, Alanis Morissette, Alessia Cara, William Prince, DJ Sanjoy, and Vegedream
USA: Katy Perry, Future, Tyla, Blackpink, Anitta, and Rema.
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