Justin Bieber Added to World Cup Final Halftime Show

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He joins an already-stacked lineup of Madonna, Shakira, BTS, and Kermit

July 8, 2026

In an apparent attempt to promote as many professional sporting events as possible, Justin Bieber has now been added to the FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show on July 19. The news arrives shortly after the pop star announced the first pick of the NHL Draft for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He joins an already loaded performance lineup of Madonna, Shakira, BTS, Burna Boy, Coldplay, Miss Piggy, Kermit, a chorus of 4th and 5th graders from an elementary school in Staten Island, and—last but certainly not least—the cast of Sesame Street.

It’s been busy a few weeks for Bieber overall. In addition to the World Cup news and NHL cameo, he released live albums from both weekends of his 2026 Coachella set.

Revisit our reviews of Swag and Swag II.

Alex Suskind has overseen music coverage at New York magazine’s Vulture and, before that, Entertainment Weekly (where he also co-founded the publication’s union). He has written about TV, film, technology, politics, and tons of other stuff for The Guardian, Vanity Fair, Vice, and The Fader. ... Read More