July 14, 2026

The New York Philharmonic and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela will join Gustavo for the FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show.

The New York Philharmonic and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela will join the lineup for the FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show. In a display of global unity, and a moving tribute to Venezuela following the devastating earthquakes, Gustavo Dudamel will conduct the orchestra, which will combine members of these two orchestras for the first time.  

Founded in 1842, the New York Philharmonic is the oldest and most storied symphony orchestra in the United States. In September 2026, Gustavo Dudamel becomes the Music & Artistic Director of the NY Phil, continuing a legacy that includes Gustav Mahler, Arturo Toscanini, and Leonard Bernstein.

Since 1975, the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra has been widely recognized as a symbol of Venezuelan talent and as an international benchmark, consistently bringing the transformative power of music to the world's most distinguished stages. On 1999, at the age of 18, Gustavo Dudamel was appointed Music Director of the Simón Bolívar Youth Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, and under his direction, the ensemble has become a global sensation and garnered innumerable accolades.