Post Malone, Madonna and BTS: World Cup final ceremony and half-time show timings and how to watch

The <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/world-cup-2026/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/world-cup-2026/">2026 World Cup final</a> will feature two major entertainment spectacles at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19: a closing ceremony before kick-off and a <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/music-stage/2026/02/09/bad-bunny-super-bowl-review-half-time-nfl/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/music-stage/2026/02/09/bad-bunny-super-bowl-review-half-time-nfl/">Super Bowl-style half-time show</a>. While World Cup finals have traditionally staged<a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/music-stage/2026/07/19/world-cup-closing-ceremony-review-ishowspeed-post-malone/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/music-stage/2026/07/19/world-cup-closing-ceremony-review-ishowspeed-post-malone/"> closing ceremonies </a>before the match, this year marks the Fifa tournament’s first midway performance. The previous final in Qatar had a pre-match ceremony titled A Night to Remember, featuring Davido, Jungkook and Ozuna in 2022, while the 2018 final in Russia featured Will Smith, Nicky Jam and Era Istrefi performing before kick-off. For its separate half-time show as part of the expanded format, Fifa has enlisted Coldplay frontman Chris Martin as curator, marking an intriguing crossover between football and pop culture. Here is what we know about both events.