FIFA World Cup Opening Ceremony Live: With the opening ceremony to begin at 7:30 pm IST on 20 November at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor in Qatar, the tournament opener will take place between hosts Qatar and Ecuador from 9:30 pm IST onwards at the same venue.
The opening ceremony will witness the performances of J Balvin, Robbie Williams, Jason Derulo, Clean Bandit, Sean Paul, Nora Fatehi, Black Eyed Peas, Jungkook of BTS, Nicki Minaj, Maluma and Myriam Fares. They will be performing in a stadium which has a capacity of 60,000.
Catch all the live action with LiveMint here.
FANS
Throngs of fans were already arriving in Qatar but the main rush will be later this week. A fan from Holland, clad in orange, told Reuters there was a a feeling of “constant pressure around you not to say the wrong thing or make the wrong move”. “It’s not a fun atmosphere to have at a World Cup.”
Argentina fan Julio Cesar though said he expected a great atmosphere. “We’ll drink before the match,” he added, after alcohol sales at stadiums were banned.
Saudi Arabia’s crown prince among political leaders at the opening ceremony
In a show of Arab solidarity, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince and the presidents of Egypt and Algeria will be among political leaders at the opening ceremony in a tent-shaped stadium at 5:40 p.m. (1440 GMT), before the first match between hosts Qatar and Ecuador. The U.N. Secretary-General will also be there.
