Who and who will be performing at opening ceremony?

The 2018 World Cup in Russia kicks off today, June 14, 2018 and traditionally, the opening ceremony is the curtain raiser that glamorously ushers in the football festival.

Ahead of the opening ceremony which is scheduled to hold on Thursday afternoon, 30minutes before the first game between hosts Russia and Saudi Arabia, we take a look at artistes who will be performing at the event.

The ceremony will take place at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, the largest stadium in the country with a seating capacity of 80,000, which is also where the final of the tournament will be held.

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British Pop icon, Robbie Williams will headline performances at the opening ceremony of the 2018 World cup, the singer will be taking to the centre of the field alongside Russian soprano, Aida Garifullina, who won the 2013 Operalia competition.

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There will also be performances by the legendary Spanish Tenor and Opera Icon Placido Domingo followed up by his fellow opera singer and Peruvian Tenor, Juan Diego Florez.

Russia will also have representatives in Pianist Denis Matsuev, global opera stars Anna Netrebko, Yusif Eivazov, Ildar Abdrazakov, and Albina Shagimuratova all performing at the ceremony.

It is however uncertain if the official World Cup song, Live It Up composed by Will Smith, Nicky Jam and Kosovar Albanian singer Era Istrefi will be on showcase, as it is more likely that they will only be performing at the closing ceremony.

Around 500 dancers, gymnasts and trampolinists will also be performing in an opening extravaganza that will pay homage to all things Russian.

It will be recalled that the 2014 World Cup opening ceremony in Brazil was headlined by Pitbull and Jennifer Lopez.