The Esports World Cup 2026 has officially started in Paris, France, with a grand opening ceremony held at La Seine Musicale on June 8.

The event welcomed some of the world’s best esports players, teams, game publishers, creators, and fans for the biggest esports tournament of the year.

According to a press release from the Esports Foundation, organisers of the World Cup, the tournament will run for seven weeks and feature more than 2,000 players, 200 esports clubs, and participants from over 100 countries.

Players will compete in 25 tournaments across 24 popular games for a record breaking prize pool of $75 million.

The opening ceremony featured live performances by French music stars Aya Nakamura, DJ Snake, Theodora, and Mosimann.

The event also included dance performances, orchestral music, special visual effects, and the unveiling of the Esports World Cup Club Championship trophy, which teams will compete to win during the tournament.

Speaking at the ceremony earlier this week, Mike McCabe, Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer of the Esports World Cup Foundation, said the event was created to welcome fans from around the world and celebrate Paris as the host city of this year’s tournament.

The ceremony also introduced the official Esports World Cup 2026 anthem, which will be played throughout the competition.

With the opening event complete, the focus now shifts to the matches, where the world’s top esports players and teams will compete over the coming weeks for the championship title and the biggest prize in esports.