Who is performing at the Euro 2024 opening ceremony and how to watch (2024)

Euro 2024 begins this evening, with hosts Germany facing Scotland at 8pm but before the football begins, all eyes will be on the opening ceremony.

Football fans from across Europe – and the rest of the world – will be ready to watch the planet’s best players compete against each other for the next month.

Gareth Southgate’s England are heading to the tournament hoping to go one better than their performance in 2021, when they lost the rescheduled Euro 2020 final to Italy.

But before the ball gets rolling, viewers will be treated to a display from some of the finest entertainers and performers Germany has to offer as it prepares to welcome the rest of Europe.

The ceremony promises to be a celebration of both football and German culture, so make sure you’re seated in front of ITV from 6.30pm to catch it all.

What time does the Euro 2024 opening ceremony start?

As is traditional in sporting events around the world, the opening ceremony will take place immediately before the start of Euro 2024, with the Germany-Scotland game kicking off straight afterwards.

Coverage on ITV begins at 6.30pm, with the game kicking off at 8pm. In that space of 90 minutes, the opening ceremony for Euro 2024 will take place.

The opening ceremony will take place at the Allianz Arena – the stadium was built in 2005 and is home to Bayern Munich, one of the biggest football teams in the world.

An ‘opening concert’ for the tournament was held in Stuttgart on Thursday, with DJ Robin Schulz – who scored a UK number one in 2014 with his remix of Waves by Mr. Probz – among those who performed.

The formal opening ceremony is said to contain fireworks and a flag parade, with the flags of each nation being brought out onto the pitch – much in the manner of Eurovision or the Olympics.

Who is performing in the Euro 2024 opening ceremony?

Much of the Euro 2024 opening ceremony will be dedicated to the late German footballer Franz Beckenbaeur – who died in January aged 78.

Beckenbauer is considered one of the greatest footballers of his generation and is one of only nine players in history to have won the World Cup, the European Championship, and the Ballon d’Or – a trophy awarded to the best player of a calendar year.

As captain of the West Germany team, he won the World Cup for his country in 1974 and the Euros in 1972. As a manager, he won the World Cup in 1990.

While music will be played at the ceremony, a line-up of artists performing at the Allianz Arena before the opening game between Germany and Scotland has not been officially announced yet.

The song Fire, which has been written especially for the tournament, will be performed by Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic at the closing ceremony on July 14, one month from today.

Joining the American pop rock band on stage will be music production duo Meduza, while German singer-songwriter Leony is also set to make an appearance.

German popstar Kim Petras was originally slated to perform on the song, but due to scheduling conflicts she was no longer able to be involved.

How to watch the Euro 2024 opening ceremony

The Euro 2024 opening ceremony will be broadcast live on ITV from 6.30pm before Germany and Scotland get the tournament under way.

While the coverage will start at 6.30pm, the formal ceremony itself is expected to start closer to 7pm – it will last between 30 and 45 minutes.

Watch the Euro 2024 opening ceremony on ITV from 6.30pm on Friday, June 14.

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