WORLD CUP 2022. French and international artists are expected in Qatar for the opening and closing ceremonies of this football world cup.
[Mis à jour le 23 novembre 2022 à 15h00] Morgan Freeman and BTS (or almost): the opening ceremony of the World Cup in Qatar was far from the rain of artists announced before the event. Sunday, November 20, at the Al-Bayt stadium in Al-Khor, located north of Doha, opened this controversial world. On stage, spectators and viewers were able to applaud American actor Morgan Freeman, who came with a message of “respect and inclusion.” On the music side, neither Shakira nor Dua Lipa, as rumors had it, but simply a member of the South Korean K-Pop phenomenon group, Jungkook, who covered the hit. Dreamersalongside Qatari artist Fahad Al-Kubaisi.
Before the start of the World Cup, the Gulf State had announced a (long) list of artists, to perform throughout the competition. Also, Robbie Williams (already present at the opening ceremony of the world in Russia in 2018), should give a concert at the Doha Golf Club, in Qatar, on December 8. Among the other heavyweights of the international music industry to have said yes (according to the organizers of the world): the Black Eyed Peas, David Guetta, Maroon 5, J Balvin, Post Malone and Enrique Iglesias. So many guests at the service of an “unforgettable festival combining football and entertainment”, as announced by Nasser Al Khater, the General Manager of the 2022 World Cup one month before its kick-off.
The World Cup concert program
Despite the polemics and controversies surrounding this World Cup in Qatar, several French and international artists have accepted the invitation to perform from the Gulf State during what they have called the “FIFA Fan Festival”. Here is the program announced on the official website of the 2022 World Cup:
- Monday, November 21: Blue
- Tuesday, November 22: Diplo
- Wednesday, November 23: Kizz Daniel
- Thursday, November 24: Zeynep Bastik
- Friday, November 25: Tamtam & Felukah
- Saturday, November 26: Bader AlZhuaibi
- Sunday November 27: DJ Khaled Mamdouh
- Monday, November 28: Patoranking
- Tuesday, November 29: Nora Fatehi
- Wednesday, November 30: Omar Montes
- Thursday, December 1: Trinidad Cardona
- Friday, December 2: DJ Aseel
- Saturday, December 3: Gims
- Sunday, December 4: DJ Topic
- Monday, December 5: Tokio Myers
- Tuesday, December 6: Miami Band
- Wednesday, December 7: 4Love
- Thursday December 8: Julian Marley and the Uprising
- Friday, December 9: Myrath
- Saturday, December 10: Calvin Harris
- Sunday December 11: Retro Night
- Monday, December 12: Hassan Shakosh
- Tuesday December 13 and Wednesday December 14: DJ Cosmicat
- Thursday, December 15: Paul van Dyk
- Friday, December 16: Clean Bandit
- Saturday, December 17: Sean Paul
Dua Lipa, Rod Stewart… The artists who said no to Qatar
The weeks preceding the start of the World Cup, many rumors announced the arrival in Qatar of several artists, in particular Shakira or Dua Lipa. But on social networks, the British singer strongly denied, explaining that she “can’t wait to go to Qatar when he has fulfilled all the human rights commitments he has made.”
For his part, Rod Stewart, legendary singer of English rock, had declared to the Sunday Times: “I was offered a lot of money, more than a million dollars, to play there (in Qatar) there is 15 months. I turned it down. It’s not good to go.” Same story for Shakira, who had pinned the World Cup and its host country on its carbon footprint. “I don’t think anyone has the luxury of saying, ‘Oh no, I’m not going to take part in this cause,'” the singer told Gala UK magazine of the ecology.
Gims at the closing ceremony of the World Cup
Finally, an artist who himself has confirmed his visit to Qatar: Gims. The rapper will perform the closing show of the World Cup on December 18 in Lusail, north of Doha. “End of suspense I am happy to announce that I will perform in the final of the World Cup live from Doha on December 18, for Congo for France for history…”, wrote the rapper on the networks social.