BTS spotted rehearsing ahead of historic FIFA World Cup final halftime show: Songs they will perform
The K-pop stars were seen rehearsing at before tonight's landmark performance
Dubai: BTS were spotted rehearsing at MetLife Stadium today, gearing up for their slot at the first-ever official FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show.
Shakira, one of BTS's co-headliners, posted her own preview from the rehearsal, revealing that dancers who joined her through the "Dai Dai Challenge" would be sharing the stage with her at the final.
Global Citizen founder and CEO Hugh Evans had also shared behind-the-scenes footage of the preparations, captioning the video "Rehearsals are underway for the first-ever FIFA World Cup Final Halftime show!" He also thanked the artists for donating their time to the cause.
The sightings come just hours before the group will be taking the stage before the championship match between Spain and Argentina, in front of a stadium crowd of more than 80,000 and a television audience expected to run into the billions.
Why this halftime show is such a big deal
It's the first time in the World Cup's 96-year history that the final has featured an official halftime show. Football's laws typically cap the halftime interval at 15 minutes, but organisers have extended the break to fit in the 11-minute performance.
BTS headline alongside Madonna, Shakira and Justin Bieber. Nigerian singer Burna Boy, Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel and Staten Island's PS22 Chorus, performing with Coldplay, round out the line-up. The whole show is curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, who also oversaw last year's Club World Cup final performance, seen as a dress rehearsal for tonight's event.
Sesame Street characters and the Muppets will also feature in the show.
What fans are betting BTS will open with
With rehearsals confirmed, fan attention has turned to the setlist. "Dynamite" is said to be BTS's opening song, comfortably ahead of "Fake Love" at with early favourite "SWIM".
"Butter" hasn't drawn the same momentum, trailing well behind Dynamite in Billboard Canada's betting round-up. Both songs have been fixtures on BTS's current Arirang world tour, showing up reliably in the encore alongside "Into the Sun", so neither pick is far-fetched.
Some fans have also speculated BTS could debut new material at the final, after J-Hope appeared to tease unreleased music. Worth flagging as unconfirmed speculation rather than fact.
The bigger purpose behind the show
The halftime show supports the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims to raise 100 million US dollars to expand access to education and football opportunities for children worldwide. A dollar from every match ticket sold has gone toward the fund.
When UAE fans can watch
Kickoff is at 11pm UAE time, with the halftime show expected to begin around 11.50pm UAE time. A closing ceremony honouring the tournament's 48 participating nations starts earlier, at 9.30pm UAE time, featuring Post Malone, Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams and a scheduled appearance from Tom Cruise.
Fans have a few easy ways to catch the action, starting with the most traditional route: a beIN SPORTS satellite subscription, which brings dedicated World Cup channels straight to your TV for a classic, big-screen viewing experience. The Premium package, which carries the full run of beIN Sports channels, runs at around Dh110 a month.
Prefer watching on the go? beIN CONNECT streams live matches across mobile, laptop, and smart TV devices, so you can stay in the game wherever you are. This comes in at around Dh75 a month for the streaming-only option.
And for a more flexible, standalone option, TOD by beIN has quickly become a fan favourite, offering full coverage without the need for a satellite package.
