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The US rock icons will follow in the footsteps of previous kick-off show headliners such as Imagine Dragons, Dua Lipa and Lenny Kravitz
By James Hanley on 16 Apr 2025
Linkin Park
image © PepsiCo
Linkin Park have been announced as headliners of the 2025 UEFA Champions League Final Kick Off Show.
Presented by Pepsi, the US rockers will perform at the Munich Football Arena in Germany on 31 May, directly before the start of the European football showpiece.
Since 2016, the opening ceremony has starred acts such as Dua Lipa, Imagine Dragons, Camila Cabello, Alicia Keys, Marshmello and most recently Lenny Kravitz at London’s Wembley Stadium last year.
“This marks a totally new experience for us as a band, and we’re excited to share some of our favourite songs from the past and present, with the thousands in the crowd and millions watching around the world,” say Linkin Park in a statement.
Linkin Park have composed and recorded an a new remix which features in a short film to mark the announcement. The band confirmed their comeback last year with Emily Armstrong as vocalist and released new album From Zero last November – their first LP in seven years and first since the passing of frontman Chester Bennington.
“This marks our ninth year bringing together millions of viewers from around the world”
The group resume their From Zero World Tour in the US in Austin, Texas on 26 April, winding their way across sold-out stadiums in Europe for the summer, and culminating in South America this autumn.
Eric Melis, VP of global brand marketing – Pepsi at PepsiCo, hails the group as “one of most influential rock bands of the 21st century”.
“This marks our ninth year bringing together millions of viewers from around the world, with Linkin Park sure to put on a show like no other, live from the Munich Football Arena in Germany,” he says.
The UEFA Champions League Final Kick Off Show will be aired all around the world and territories globally.
“This year’s UEFA Champions League Final Kick Off Show presented by Pepsi promises to be a spectacular moment, with one of the world’s most iconic rock bands performing live just minutes before the biggest match in European club football,” adds Guy-Laurent Epstein, co-MD of UEFA-ECA joint-venture UC3.
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