The Esports World Cup 2026 officially kicked off in Paris, France, with last night’s Opening Ceremony at La Seine Musicale. The Paris event is the first international edition of the esports and gaming event.
The Opening Ceremony formally begins the seven weeks of esports action across 24 titles. However, Valorant, Apex Legends, Dota 2, and Fatal Fury competitions are already well underway at EWC 2026 Week 1.
Opening Ceremony Kicks off EWC action
The EWC 2026 Opening Ceremony marked the beginning of seven weeks of competition that will bring together more than 2,000 players, 200 clubs, and representatives from over 100 countries competing across 25 tournaments in 24 games for a record-breaking $75 million prize pool.
Live performances from Aya Nakamura, Theodora, DJ Snake and Mosimann were woven throughout a production that combined orchestral music, dance, augmented reality, large-scale stage design and cinematic visuals to connect esports with the culture of its host city. Chess World Number 1 Magnus Carlsen took part in the ceremony, playing chess as part of the show.
The evening opened with an esports-focused pre-show hosted by Doigby before transitioning into the Opening Ceremony, which was designed for both the live audience at La Seine Musicale and millions watching around the world. DJ Snake closed the global broadcast before continuing with an extended live performance, followed by a closing set from Mosimann for the audience in Paris.
“The Opening Ceremony is our welcome to the world – that our historic event is open,” said Mike McCabe, Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer at the Esports Foundation. “As we bring EWC 2026 to Paris for the first time, we wanted to celebrate the city through artists who have helped shape music and culture in France today. Aya Nakamura, DJ Snake, and Theodora each represent something different, but together they reflect the creativity and influence that make Paris such a special place to host this event.”
With the opening ceremony now complete, the world’s attention now turns to the competition at the heart of the EWC.
Paris embraces esports as they host first international Esports World Cup
Earlier in the day, Mayor of Paris Emmanuel Grégoire and French Minister of Sports, Youth, and Community Life, Marina Ferrari, welcomed the event to Paris, likening the global event to the Paris Olympic Games in 2024 and emphasizing France’s ambition as an esports leader.
Like an Olympic Games, the Esports World Cup has left its mark elsewhere in the city with signage featured near the Arc de Triomphe and visible throughout the Metro underground rail network.
The main billboard features Global Ambassador of the Esports World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo, flanked by esports stars Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok and Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut.
However, the pair are far from the only esports stars to feature on the Metro, with esports stars such as Rasmus ‘Caps’ Winther, Axel ‘Vatira’ Touret, and Dan ‘apEX Madesclaire featuring on individual posters.
Is Paris ahead of other nations in esports adoption? Let us know your thoughts on the Insider Gaming Discord server.
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Darragh is an Esports Journalist for Insider Gaming specialising in Counter-Strike. He loves to explore how esports teams work, or why they very often do not.
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