Latest news with #halftimeShow
New York Times
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
FIFA to stage Club World Cup final halftime show, Robbie Williams and Laura Pausini to perform pre-game
Eagle-eyed fans at MetLife Stadium may have noticed a stage being built in the sky. As football clubs from around the world battled it out on the pitch below, this curious platform slowly began to take shape over the last few weeks of the Club World Cup. It's podium-like shape could have made you wonder. Is this where either Chelsea or Paris Saint-Germain will be crowned champions on Sunday? Or, more logically, is this where the tournament's halftime show will take place? Turns out, it's the latter, as FIFA confirmed to The Athletic this week. Advertisement This stage, high in the nose-bleed sections of the venue, will be where J Balvin, Doja Cat, Tems and Emmanuel Kelly will make history for FIFA. Across all its competitions, this will be the first time a FIFA tournament carries a halftime show. Global Citizen, which partnered with FIFA and is leading the halftime show with Coldplay's Chris Martin, revealed more details to Rolling Stone on Friday. Together, the groups built a high-tech stage in the upper stands to avoid damaging the pitch at halftime, featuring 40,000 pounds of staging, scenery and structural truss. It took six semi-trucks to deliver this to the venue, they said, with the stage made up of 4,000 feet of pipe bracing, LED displays with nearly 16 million pixels. 'By building our platform high in the stands, we ensured that the newly installed natural grass remains untouched while delivering an unforgettable show that is designed to be time-efficient and visually stunning,' Hugh Evans, Global Citizen's CEO, told Rolling Stone. The 15-minute halftime show is a curious addition to FIFA's tournament lineup, but falls in line with their theme of expanding and growing the competition as much as the governing body can. Halftime shows are more an American tradition than a soccer one, with the NFL's Super Bowl halftime show the biggest example of what this looks like. FIFA has notably never hosted a halftime performance in the past. Last year, Conmebol took a risk when it tapped Shakira to debut in Copa América's inaugural halftime show in Miami. The plans were openly criticized because of the extended break it would create for players, a result of having to set and unset a stage. It will be interesting to see if there are any gripes now that FIFA's in charge, or if the sky-high staging helps alleviate any of those potential grievances. Advertisement The way foreign executives see it, Americans have successfully merged sport with entertainment in a way that is unmatched elsewhere in the world. It's why so many soccer tournaments have come to the U.S. in recent years, and it's why next year's World Cup is fully embracing this in not-so-subtle ways, like a halftime show. This weekend's Club World Cup will also feature a pre-match, over-the-top ceremony. FIFA is encouraging fans to arrive to the stadium early to catch it at 1:30 p.m. ET, or to tune in then. The match's start time is 90 minutes later. The pre-match ceremony features three parts. First, there's the countdown to the final, followed by a performance of Desire by FIFA's music ambassador Robbie Williams and Laura Pausini. There will also be 'a powerful tribute to the tournament hosts,' with the national anthem performed, a color guard and a 'dramatic flyover and dazzling pyrotechnics (that) will electrify the stadium,' in FIFA's words. The latter is fitting considering that U.S. President Donald Trump said he'll attend the final on Sunday, joking that he would be 'delivering' the trophy to the event. What we do know is that the trophy ceremony will be pitch-side after the final whistle. There is still plenty we don't know about the halftime show – like whether performers will be limited to the stage, or if we'll see anyone pull a Lady Gaga. How could anyone forget her big leaps and dramatic exit during the 2017 Super Bowl in Houston? One sure thing is that whatever happens this weekend will likely offer lessons and instruction for 2026.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Red Panda suffers scary fall during WNBA halftime show
The post Red Panda suffers scary fall during WNBA halftime show appeared first on ClutchPoints. A mishap occurred during Tuesday night's WNBA Commissioner's Cup Championship clash between the Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx. One of the best halftime performers the sports world has ever seen suffered an injury in Minneapolis' Target Center. Acrobat Rong 'Krystal' Niu, better known by the name Red Panda, rides a 7-foot-tall unicycle while flipping and balancing bowls on her head. She fell early during her act and eventually left in an ambulance, according to The Athletic's Ben Pickman and Chantel Jennings. Advertisement Red Panda started to walk off the court while grabbing her back, before a wheelchair was brought out to assist her. Fans around the country are devastated to learn of this development. It is also quite shocking to see this one-of-a-kind talent fall, given the aura of invincibility she has built for herself after spending decades amazing NBA, WNBA and NCAA spectators, among others. Red Panda first emerged in the United States during the 1990s and then expanded her following with a memorable run on the long-running competition show, 'America's Got Talent,' back in 2013. Niu had to withdraw from the quarterfinals due to personal reasons, but she left her mark on the stage and went on to become an even more prevalent presence at halftime shows. An NBA insider nicely described the remarkable and enduring impact this veteran entertainer has had on the industry. Advertisement 'She never expected to still be performing,' The Stein Line's Jake Fischer posted on X. 'A broken arm during practice almost led to Red Panda's retirement in 2015. The fact she's still been out there, crushing it, well past 50 years old, has been amazing. Hope she gets well soon and is back on the court.' Red Panda recently performed in Game 5 of the 2025 NBA Finals, illustrating the type of appeal she continues to carry after all these years on tour. Prayers are with Niu. Her supporters, of which there are many, earnestly await some good news. Related: WNBA rumors: Houston still eyeing franchise despite expansion cities announcement Advertisement Related: Week 6 WNBA power rankings: Have the Aces finally found their identity?
Washington Post
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Red Panda suffered ‘severe' wrist fracture in halftime fall at WNBA game
While entertaining the crowd at Target Center in Minneapolis during the WNBA Commissioner's Cup final between the Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx. Rong Niu, the popular halftime show performer known by the stage name Red Panda, suffered what her agent described as a 'severe fracture' of her left wrist in a fall. The injury occurred just after the acrobat, believed to be in her 50s, began her act.
The Guardian
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Popular unicycle performer Red Panda injured at half-time of WNBA game
One of the most popular acts in half-time entertainment sustained an injury Tuesday night in Minneapolis as Rong 'Krystal' Niu, better known under her stage name of 'Red Panda,' needed to be assisted off the court after falling during half-time of the WNBA Commissioner's Cup championship game between the Indiana Fever and the Minnesota Lynx. Niu has delighted basketball fans in numerous NBA, college basketball and WNBA venues since her debut in 1993. The 'Red Panda' rides a seven-foot-tall unicycle while catching and balancing a large number of metal bowls on her head during her act. Reporters for MinnPost and ESPN confirmed that Niu took a hard spill, falling from her unicycle during Tuesday's performance. The popular performer laid still for some time, cradling her left wrist before being taken off the court in a wheelchair. After the game, several Indiana players, including Caitlin Clark, shared their concern for Niu during an Instagram Live hosted by teammate Sydney Colson. Caitlin Clark jumps into Syd Colson's IG live to send recovery wishes to Red Panda, who fell off her unicycle during her halftime performance. Caitlin: Red Panda, if you're watching, we love you. 🫶Syd: I don't think Red Panda's watching my shit. 🤣 'We hope she's OK,' Clark said, echoing a sentiment felt across the basketball world for a performer who has long been part of the sport's rhythm and spectacle. Once called 'the best halftime act in basketball' by Dime Magazine, Niu retired in 2013 to support her father while he battled cancer. She practiced occasionally during this timeframe and suffered her first wrist injury. After she mourned her father's death due to esophageal cancer and helped her mother deal with an illness, Niu made her return in 2015 as she revealed in a Sports on Earth interview that she couldn't stay away. 'I missed it,' Niu said. 'The crowd. The energy. The challenge. From my heart, I feel like this is a part of my home. Although I lost my father, I still have this part of my life with me, just like before.'
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Prayers Pouring In For Legendary Halftime Performer After Scary Fall
Prayers Pouring In For Legendary Halftime Performer After Scary Fall originally appeared on The Spun. On Tuesday night, Red Panda had the privilege of performing the halftime show for the WNBA Commissioner's Cup final. Unfortunately, her performance was cut short. Advertisement Rong Niu, who is better known as Red Panda, has become one of the most popular acrobats in the entire world. She has performed at college basketball, NBA and WNBA games for several years, cementing her status as a legend. As Red Panda was riding a unicycle on Tuesday night, she fell off it and landed directly on her wrists. It was a frightening scene for those at Target Center as well as those watching at home on Prime Video. Red Panda tried to get off the court under her own power. She ultimately needed assistance from medical personnel. Red Panda suffers a nasty fall during the WNBA Commissioner's Cup championship Video. Prime Video quickly cut away from Red Panda's fall, which fans certainly appreciated. Advertisement Nonetheless, footage from Target Center showed Red Panda leaving the court on a wheelchair. Here's the fall that led to Red Panda's apparent wrist injury: As you'd imagine, prayers are pouring in for the legendary acrobat. "I hope she's okay!!! The fact this doesn't happen more often is testament to her greatness," Seth Davis said. "OH MY GOD NO. PLEASE BE OK RED PANDA. NOT RED PANDA," Big Cat wrote on X. "Thoughts and prayers for Red Panda. The legendary half time show performer fell at the very beginning of her show at the Lynx game and had to get wheeled off the floor," one person said. Advertisement "Prayers up for Red Panda. The classiest, most fun halftime performer of our time," another person commented. An update on Red Panda's status hasn't been released just yet. We're wishing Red Panda a full and speedy recovery. Prayers Pouring In For Legendary Halftime Performer After Scary Fall first appeared on The Spun on Jul 2, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jul 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
