Shakira and Ghetto Kids Lead First World Cup Final Halftime Show

The 2026 FIFA World Cup final will feature the tournament's first-ever halftime show, headlined by Shakira and including a performance by The Ghetto Kids from Uganda. The show, set for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, also includes Madonna, BTS, and Justin Bieber Source: infobae.

The historic show

The halftime spectacle, directed by Coldplay's Chris Martin, will last approximately 11 minutes and feature Shakira performing her World Cup anthem "Dai Dai" alongside The Ghetto Kids Source: infobae, hoydo. Other artists such as Burna Boy, Gustavo Dudamel, and the PS22 Chorus will also participate Source: infobae. The event marks the first time a World Cup final has included a halftime show, modeled after the Super Bowl Source: infobae.

The Ghetto Kids story

The Ghetto Kids are a Ugandan dance collective founded in 2014 by Dauda Kavuma as a social project to support vulnerable children in Kampala Source: excelsiormx, mileniomx. The group gained international fame after appearing in Eddy Kenzo's "Sitya Loss" video and later on Britain's Got Talent Source: mileniomx. Shakira personally invited them after seeing their viral dance videos to "Dai Dai" Source: mileniomx.

Shakira's personal invitation

Shakira expressed her excitement on Instagram, saying the children "have changed our lives" and that spending time with them has been "magical" . The group joined Shakira for rehearsals in New York and even accompanied her on stage at a recent concert . Shakira confirmed she worked to bring the children from Uganda to the US for the performance .