The pop star shared the stage with 10-year-old Tius during the Los Angeles opening ceremony
Credit: Richard Heathcote/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Katy Perry turned heads in a shimmering Stella McCartney dress during the FIFA World Cup opening ceremony in Los Angeles
- The singer performed “Wonder” alongside 10-year-old Tius, the Norwegian vocalist featured on the track
- Perry joined a star-studded lineup that included Future, Anitta, BLACKPINK’s Lisa, Rema and Tyla
Katy Perry brought high fashion and a heartfelt musical moment to the FIFA World Cup opening ceremony in Los Angeles.
The pop star, 41, took the stage on Friday, June 12, while wearing a shimmering silver sequin dress from Stella McCartney's Fall/Winter 2026 collection. Perry helped close out the star-studded celebration ahead of the United States' tournament-opening match against Paraguay.
Perry wore the sculptural fringe dress with a pair of see-through wedge mules and silver jewelry.
The "Firework" performer shared the stage with 10-year-old Tius, a young singer from Norway who appears on “Wonder,” a track from her 2024 album 143.
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Just one day before taking the stage, Perry introduced fans to Tius in a video shared on social media and explained the story behind his involvement in the song.
“That little voice you’re listening to right now is Tius,” Perry wrote alongside the clip.
“Tius recorded his part on ‘Wonder’ when he was 5 years old in 2021. I heard his vocal in 2023 and was inspired to write the verses for ‘Wonder’ and added it to my sixth album,” she continued. “Tius is 10 now and flew all the way to LA from Norway to sing this song with me on Friday at the World Cup ✨⚽.”
The performance marked the first time Perry had performed “Wonder” live, something she teased earlier this week while attending the Tribeca Festival premiere of Katy Perry: The Lifetimes Tour — Live from Paris.
Speaking exclusively with PEOPLE, Perry hinted that she had chosen a song fans had never heard her perform onstage before.
“It's very fitting for the ceremonial song that I get to sing,” Perry said.
“And it's not new,” she added. “It's off of one of my records, and I'm very excited to perform it.”
Perry was one of several major artists featured during the Los Angeles ceremony, which served as the final opening celebration of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The California event featured performances from Future, Anitta, BLACKPINK's Lisa, Rema and Tyla.
Ahead of kickoff, country duo Dan + Shay performed the U.S. national anthem, while Paraguayan folk-pop group Purahéi Soul performed Paraguay's national anthem.
Los Angeles marked the final stop in a series of World Cup opening celebrations, following a June 11 kickoff event in Mexico City and a ceremony in Toronto earlier the same day.
Credit: Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty
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Mexico City's ceremony featured performances from Shakira and Burna Boy, who performed “Dai Dai,” the official song of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, alongside a lineup that included Alejandro Fernández, Belinda, Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules, Maná and Tyla.
Toronto's celebration was headlined by Michael Bublé, with Alessia Cara, Alanis Morissette, Elyanna and Vegedream.
The tournament's return to the United States comes more than three decades after the country last hosted FIFA World Cup matches in 1994.
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