Rema
Nigerian Afrobeats star; one of six performers at the 2026 World Cup SoFi Stadium opening ceremony.
Last refreshed: 21 May 2026
What does Rema's World Cup ceremony slot tell us about Afrobeats' global commercial ascent?
Timeline for Rema
- Who is Rema the singer performing at the World Cup?
- Rema (Divine Ikubor) is a 25-year-old Nigerian Afrobeats artist known for Calm Down (2022). He is one of six performers at the SoFi Stadium 2026 World Cup opening ceremony.Source: Lowdown
- What song made Rema famous?
- Calm Down (2022), including a remix with Selena Gomez, spent over a year on the US Billboard Hot 100 and reached No.1 in multiple countries, making Rema one of the most commercially successful Afrobeats artists internationally.
Background
Rema (born Divine Ikubor, 2000, Benin City, Nigeria) is an Afrobeats artist who achieved a rare crossover into the US mainstream with Calm Down (2022), which spent over a year on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached No.1 in multiple countries. He is one of six performers confirmed by FIFA for the SoFi Stadium opening ceremony on 12 June 2026, giving Africa a prominent voice in the ceremony alongside Tyla, and signalling the growing global reach of Afrobeats.
Rema signed to Mavin Records in Nigeria at 18 and debuted in 2019. His Afropop and Afrobeats sound blends traditional Nigerian influences with global pop production, appealing across African markets, Europe and the United States. At 25, he is the youngest performer confirmed for the SoFi ceremony.
The opening ceremony line-up pairs two African artists — Rema and South African singer Tyla — reflecting both the commercial power of Afrobeats and FIFA's awareness that Africa hosts nine participating nations in the 2026 expanded 48-team tournament.