Imagine Dragons has been confirmed by UEFA as the band that will play before the 2018-19 Champions League final between Liverpool and Tottenham at Madrid’s Wanda Metropolitano.
Best known in Europe for their hits ‘Radioactive’, ‘Demons’ and ‘Thunder’, the Las Vegas outfit have also topped the US rock charts over the last year with ‘Natural’ and scored a No.2 hit with ‘Bad Liar’.
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The band, who will have a slot on the pitch around 10 minutes before the game’s big kick off, has sold 12 million albums and more than 35 million singles worldwide.
“We're honoured to be playing the UEFA Champions League final opening ceremony with Pepsi for some of the most passionate sports fans on the planet. It's going to be a great show in Madrid,” lead singer Dan Reynolds said.
They will follow in the footsteps of Dua Lipa, Black Eyed Peas and Alicia Keys, who have played the event in previous years, with UEFA, who promise a “level of production never seen before at a Champions League final”, confident that this will be the biggest yet.
“We are extremely excited to be collaborating with Pepsi on the 2019 UEFA Champions League final opening ceremony,” said UEFA Events SA marketing director Guy-Laurent Epstein. “For the fourth year running, the opening ceremony will bring music, entertainment and sport together in an epic experience for fans – and Pepsi is the perfect partner to help us do that.
“Last year's performance by Dua Lipa was a great success, breaking records as our most-viewed, single piece of social media content ever. We know that Imagine Dragons are going to build on our fans' excitement for the opening ceremony performance with a rock show football fans will never forget.”
Natalia Filippociants, vice president marketing and global beverages at PepsiCo, is equally confident of an explosive performance, saying: “Each year, we have raised the performance bar and the energy in the stadium minutes before kick-off. And to be able to bring today's ultimate rock band, Imagine Dragons, to the stage with us for what is sure to be an electrifying final, is a true celebration of where this partnership has come – and where it is going.”