Linkin Park to Headline Champions League Final
UEFA has announced that the American rock band Linkin Park will offer a pre-match show before the Champions League final begins in Munich on May 31.
The band, which released its first album in seven years in November 2024, “will mix its iconic riffs with the sights and sounds of the UEFA Champions League,” according to a UEFA statement.
Lenny Kravitz performed at Wembley Stadium during the opening ceremony of last year’s final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
Linkin Park will take a break from their world tour to play before the Champions League final in Munich.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has announced that the 2026 World Cup final in the United States will break with tradition and have a halftime show in the style of the Super Bowl.
UEFA also announced on April 8 that pre-match concerts will come to the most important stages of European women’s football starting next season, as part of a Pepsi sponsorship.
The five-year renewal with PepsiCo will include opening shows at the Women’s Champions League final until 2030 and at the 2029 European Championship final.
Inspired by the NFL Super Bowl halftime show, UEFA has had limited success with the incorporation of musical performances in its main event.
Some stations have chosen not to broadcast the live concerts, preferring to focus on the experts discussing the upcoming match in their studio.
However, Dua Lipa’s appearance at the 2018 Champions League final in Kyiv led Liverpool supporters to adopt her hit “One Kiss” as an unofficial anthem after reaching the final, where they were defeated 3-1 by Real Madrid.
