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Among the stars performing at the FIFA World Cup finals halftime show are Madonna, Shakira, Justin Bieber, and BTS. Joining them will be the PS22 Chorus of Staten Island, New York. “One big world, one melody, the World Cup’s where we’re meant to be,” they posted ahead of the show.
“This groundbreaking spectacle, curated by Chris Martin of Coldplay, will celebrate football, music and our shared values, ensuring a legacy that transcends the final whistle,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement about the World Cup. PS22 will perform with Coldplay; but how did an elementary school chorus end up as part of the world’s biggest sporting event? Here, a brief history of the PS22 Chorus:
Gregg Breinberg launched the chorus in the 2000-2001 school year.
Jemal Countess//Getty Images
Breinberg, center, with members of the chorus in 2009.
“It’s not just about singing. It’s not just about learning notes and learning rhythms and learning lyrics,” Breinberg told NPR. “It’s really about connecting.”
Soon after he launched the program, the September 11 terrorist attacks occurred. “It was my responsibility as a teacher to try to help these kids make sense of it in a way that would be child appropriate and in a way that hopefully could make them feel better,” he explained.
He started posting videos of the chorus on YouTube in 2006.
In the early days of YouTube, Breinberg began posting his school’s covers online. “Somewhere along the line, people began to notice the little kids singing the grown-up songs,” noted Brooklyn Rail in 2009. “The chorus gradually attracted an illustrious posse of fans, starting with Mayor Michael Bloomberg and ending with bilious celebrity blogger Perez Hilton. When Hilton linked to ‘Flying Dutchman’ early in 2008, the video went viral, immediately making the top ten most-viewed YouTube videos in a single day. To date, more than 1,250,000 people have visited the PS 22 Chorus page, giving the site more hits than the Coldplay and Radiohead pages put together. For a grade school choir from Staten Island, it’s quite an achievement.”
“Honestly, I never imagined that things would take off for the chorus the way they have in the last few years,” Breinberg told Brooklyn Rail. “The enormity of exposure, recognition, and celebrity cameos—the likes of Tori Amos and Crowded House—never entered my wildest dreams when I first started the program back in 2000. The kids have earned themselves something of a cult following due to the eclectic music they cover and through the integrity of their performance. I think people recognize something extraordinary when they see it, and these kids definitely fall under that heading. They’ve risen above tremendous obstacles and have made their voices heard.”
PS22 starts getting more national exposure.
Over the course of a few years, they perform on Good Morning America, the 2009 national tree lighting ceremony at the White House, at the 2011 Oscars, and in Katy Perry’s Part of Me movie, Sesame Street, among many other national appearances.
The Washington Post//Getty Images
Students from PS22 Elementary School Chorus from Staten Island, NY perform prior to the start of the 57th Presidential Inauguration.
JASON ALPERT-WISNIA//Getty Images
Musician and actor Mandy Patinkin performs Somewhere Over the Rainbow alongside the PS22 Chorus of Staten Island at the 2026 New York City Inauguration.
In 2013, they performed at Barack Obama’s second inauguration, and more recently, at Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral inauguration.
“It was an honor and it was beautiful. I used to be scared of being around a lot of people — basically stage fright,” Amber Nobis, age 11, said of performing at Mamandi’s inauguration. “I thought the inauguration could help me build more confidence so if I get famous, nothing can bother me. Inside of my heart, I felt warm and comfortable with my friends.”
Who is in PS22 Chorus?
Per Fox 5 New York, “The PS22 Chorus is made up of more than 80 fourth and fifth grade students at PS 22 in Graniteville, Staten Island.”
Why is the PS22 Chorus in the halftime show?
The halftime show will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which is, per Fifa.com, “an initiative aiming to raise USD 100 million to expand access to quality education and football opportunities for children worldwide.”
According to Hugh Evans, the founder and CEO of Global Citizen, “The PS22 Chorus shows what happens when kids get access to music, education, and opportunity. On July 19, they embody everything the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund exists for.”
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Deputy Digital Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the royals, and a wide range of other topics. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms.