Oct. 7 hostage survivors among performers at the Maccabiah 2026 Opening Ceremony
Daniella Gilboa and Edan Alexander will join Idan Raichel as part of a special arrangement of some of his songs
Ticket sales for the Maccabiah 2026 Opening Ceremony officially opened today. The event will take place on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem and will mark the opening of the biggest celebration of sports, culture, and music to be held in Israel this coming summer. The opening ceremony, will be produced as a giant show for the public, combining live performances by Israel’s leading artists with a 70-meter-long giant stage, two enormous LED screens, visual and pyrotechnic effects, hundreds of dancers, the lighting of the Maccabiah torch, and a parade featuring thousands of athletes arriving from dozens of countries around the world.
The evening will be hosted by Assi Azar and Anna Aronov, with performances from people like Netta Barzilai, Anna Zak, Itay Levy, and Idan Raichel. Raichel will be joined by two survivors of Hamas captivity, Daniella Gilboa and Edan Alexander.
Also attending the ceremony will be international content creator and American social media star Montana Tucker, one of the leading voices in the world supporting Israel and fighting antisemitism, will perform her original song in the opening ceremony.
This year, in the spirit of the annual message “More Than Ever,” the Maccabiah 2026 Opening Ceremony will accommodate its largest capacity yet. The events and competitions will take place from July 1–13 across Israel, from the north of the country to the south, and will also include, for the first time, an experiential sports complex at Expo Tel Aviv.
The Maccabiah Games is the largest Jewish sporting competition in the world and the second-largest sports event globally. Often called the “Jewish Olympics," it's held every four years, with over 10,000 athletes from 80+ countries gathering in Israel to compete in more than 45 sports.
Information and Ticket Purchases:
When: Wednesday, July 1, 2026
Where: Teddy Stadium, Jerusalem
Gates Open: 17:00
Show Starts: 19:30