The Super Bowl halftime show is an incredibly intense event, but there’s no denying it’s always exciting to watch.
Earlier this year, when the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, hip-hop royalty Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent and Anderson . We played in a sold out 70,000 seat venue. At his SoFi stadium in California, there were about 112 million TV viewers.
The next edition of the NFL’s Showpiece event takes place on February 12 and is headlined by nine-time Grammy Award winner Rihanna. Ahead of the release of her ninth studio album, she will perform live for the first time in five years.
Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg were among the standout performers at this year’s Super Bowl (Photo: Rob Carr/Getty Images)
According to official FIFA statistics, 1.12 billion people watched France defeat Croatia 4-2 in the 2018 World Cup final. These numbers completely overwhelm the Super Bowl, so expect to see superstars of similar status at the closing ceremony minutes before the finals this year.
The organization of Qatar’s infrastructure, accommodation and transport will be the responsibility of the Supreme Commission for Delivery and Legacy, while entertainment options will be the responsibility of FIFA.
The Closing Ceremony was dubbed “A Night to Remember” and “shows through poetry and music that the world will come together for the 29 days of the tournament”.
David, Aisha, Ozuna, Gims, Nora Fatehi, Balquiz, Rama Riyadh and Manal appear on the official soundtrack of the competition before France attempt to defend their title against Argentina. It’s nowhere near as big a draw as Dr. Dre and Rihanna.
The opening ceremony was a little more dignified as it was narrated by Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman and featured Jungkook of South Korean music group BTS.
Overall, though, the entertainment at the World Cup was strange and underwhelming. can make it, right.
Before every match the DJ tried to get the crowd excited, but with limited success. They’ve apparently been given a very strict setlist, playing only songs from the soundtrack and a few songs, including John Newman’s Love Me Again.
The Black Eyed Peas’ 2009 hit, I Gotta Feeling, blasts through the speakers minutes before kickoff, and the announcer calls on cellphone lights to be turned off. They follow it up with a dizzying light show, which should probably come with health warnings.
Volunteers deployed a giant inflatable World Cup trophy at every match and combined it with fireworks effects. A clever sequence, but it loses its charm on the fifth viewing.
Mad Stuntman appeared at halftime in both semi-finals. known for playing The family film series was remixed by a group of lemurs from Madagascar, making it difficult to take seriously.
Mad Stuntman isn’t the only artist to be called upon by 1990s FIFA for a World Cup renaissance. Chesney Hawkes, who shot to the top of the UK charts in 1991 with the song “The One and Only” but hasn’t released an album since 2012, performed at halftime during a group stage match between England and Wales.
The Chesney Hawkes were an unexpected entertainment choice for England v Wales (Photo: Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Boys Life, a project by former Boyzone member Keith Duffy and former Westlife star Brian McFadden, has also made several appearances.
Have the best time in Qatar @FIFA World Cup 🤩 Yesterday was such an amazing moment performing on the pitch for the quarterfinals ❤️ I can’t wait to perform at the FIFA Fan Festival tomorrow 🎉 @Official Keith @Brian McFadden pic.twitter.com/d5ETNiHzl4
— Boys Life (@boyzlifeOFCL) December 10, 2022
The most bizarre performance of the tournament came from Julian Marley, son of reggae icon Bob Marley. Julian sang “Get Up, Stand Up” written by his father in response to political unrest in the Caribbean during the quarterfinal match between Argentina and the Netherlands. The lyrics include the line “Stand up, stand up, stand up for your rights”, but rather than a moving tribute, it is addressed to the migrant workers who gave their lives to make this tournament possible. It felt like a cruel joke. .
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Entertainment outside the stadium has generally improved, as supporters can now attend more than 90 special events, including music festivals, cultural exhibitions, film screenings and street performances.
With small stages near all eight grounds, thousands of supporters partyed next to the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium after Argentina defeated Australia in the Round of 16. The Doha Design District, near Souq Waqif, has his installation of art, which pays tribute to South American football and has murals of Neymar and Lionel his Messi.
Held at Al Bidda Park, the FIFA Fan Festival was able to garner bigger names than the opening and closing ceremonies, including Diplo, Calvin Harris and Sean Paul. The W Hotel hosted Jason Derulo, Craig David, Peggy Gou and Ne-Yo while Robbie Williams and Akon performed at the Doha Golf Club.
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Even the FIFA Legends Cup, which featured Alessandro Del Piero, Kaka, Roberto Carlos and Javier Zanetti, had a ceremony before the final with a dance group and a marching band.
There was no clear strategy for music and entertainment at this year’s World Cup. No one is suggesting it will be as ridiculously extravagant as the Super Bowl, but with a little more effort, it could be a bigger celebration of the culture this tournament is supposed to be all about. .
(Photo above: Elsa/Getty Images)
