Uganda’s Ghetto Kids Perform With Shakira At 2026 World Cup Final Halftime Show

Ugandan dance troupe Ghetto Kids, described by RFI as young dancers from the slums of Kampala, are set to perform alongside Shakira at the 2026 World Cup final halftime show at MetLife Stadium on 19 July.

“Ugandan dance troupe Ghetto Kids are preparing for the performance of a lifetime, showing off their moves alongside Colombian superstar, Shakira, at the World Cup Final halftime show”

CNN

RFI says Shakira invited the group after seeing a video of them performing to “Dai Dai,” the official theme song to the 2026 World Cup that she recorded with Nigerian singer Burna Boy.

CNN

CNN’s Isa Soares is credited with the group’s story as Ghetto Kids prepare to “shimmy with Shakira at football’s biggest final,” with the troupe’s choreography catching the singer’s eye on social media.

Pulse Sports Uganda says the group will take center stage at MetLife Stadium on July 19, sharing the spotlight with an artist “slated to headline the 2026 World Cup final’s historic halftime show.”

Ssegirinya Madwanah, better known as King, told RFI, “We were huge Shakira fans,” describing how his manager told him, “Keep at it, maybe one day she’ll notice you.”

RFI also quotes King recalling the moment the invitation arrived: “We jumped around all over the place. Everyone was smiling. We couldn’t believe it. We danced all night,” as the dancers prepared for the performance.

Pulse Sports Uganda

Ronnie Ssentongo, a former Ghetto Kids dancer who now manages the group’s social media, told RFI that the invitation came as “a total surprise,” saying, “We weren’t expecting a reaction like this. We’re excited to see where this opportunity takes us.”

RFI adds that the group has around 60 members and that created in 2013, Ghetto Kids have performed at the Confederation of African Football Awards in Morocco and appeared on Britain’s Got Talent, while also taking part in events at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

RFI frames the halftime show as a chance for visibility and income, saying the dancers’ shows help fund school fees, clothing, medical care and daily expenses.

“Uganda's Ghetto Kids to shake it with Shakira at World Cup final A group of young Ugandan dancers from the slums of Kampala have been invited to perform alongside pop star Shakira at the 2026 World Cup final, an opportunity they hope will bring them new visibility and help them transform their future”

RFI

Ssentongo told RFI that Shakira’s invitation could have “a life-changing opportunity,” adding, “It’s thanks to events like these that we can fund school fees, healthcare, clothing and everything else the children need.”

RFI also reports that the group’s trip to the US could be threatened by the Ebola outbreak in Uganda and neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, which is raising concerns about potential travel restrictions.

King told RFI, “We’re a little scared,” while also insisting, “we believe everything will go as planned and we’ll be there, no matter what,” as he described his path from dancing in Kampala for money to auditioning for the Ghetto Kids in 2017.