According to Fifa, the 2018 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony will have a slightly different format compared to previous editions of the tournament, with a particular focus on musical acts.
The show will also take place much closer to kick-off, just half an hour before the start of the match, which is scheduled for 4pm UK time.
Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull were headlines acts at the 2014 opening ceremony in Brazil.
Opera singer Placido Domingo – who famously soundtracked Italia ’90 as one of the Three Tenors alongside Luciano Pavarotti and José Carreras – will also be performing. Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Florez will join him.
“It is interesting that football events are usually opened by opera stars, because classical music is a universal code understood by residents of every country,” said the tournament organisers.
Pianist Denis Matsuev, global opera stars Anna Netrebko, Yusif Eivazov, Ildar Abdrazakov, and Albina Shagimuratova are among the Russian stars on show.
We do know that the official World Cup song is called Live It Up and features Will Smith, Nicky Jam and Kosovar Albanian singer Era Istrefi.
The official song is customarily performed ahead of the tournament’s opening match. (Telegraph UK. Photo: Geo.tv)