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The Killers Headline Prekick Show at Champions League Final in Budapest

UEFA and sponsor Pepsi used the band and a Beckham-fronted film to intensify the match spectacle and chase bigger broadcast and streaming audiences.

Overview

  • The Killers performed a roughly 15-minute, four-song set — 'When You Were Young', 'Human', 'All These Things That I’ve Done', and 'Mr. Brightside' — about 15 minutes before kickoff at the Puskás Aréna on May 30.
  • UEFA’s event unit UC3 and commercial partner Pepsi announced the band weeks earlier and ran a cinematic promo featuring David Beckham to build global awareness for the Kick Off Show.
  • UC3 co-managing director Guy-Laurent Epstein said the band was chosen for their stadium-ready energy to set the tone inside the arena and for millions watching around the world.
  • Broadcasters and outlets are tracking viewership as a developing story because the performance could challenge the Champions League opening-ceremony benchmark set by Camila Cabello in 2022.
  • The use of a major rock act continues a recent UEFA trend of staging pop and stadium shows before finals and it may boost live atmosphere, social engagement, and on-demand streaming numbers for future finals.