Ticket Sales Open for 2026 Maccabiah Games Opening Ceremony With Star-Studded Performances
by Shiryn Ghermezian
Delegations take part in the opening ceremony of the 20th Maccabiah Games, a quadrennial Jewish sports extravaganza which takes place in Israel, at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem, July 6, 2017. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
Tickets went on sale Monday for the 2026 Maccabiah Games opening ceremony, which will take place July 1 at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem.
Often referred to as the “Jewish Olympics,” the Maccabiah Games are held every four years in Israel. Thousands of Jewish athletes from dozens of countries around the world will travel to Israel to compete in 44 sports across four categories: juniors, open, masters, and paralympic.
The 2026 Maccabiah Games will take place from July 1-13, and the theme of this year’s event is “More Than Ever.” The event, which is organized by the Maccabi World Union, will be the largest Jewish gathering in Israel since the terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023. The games were set to take place in Israel last year but were postponed until this summer because of the Israel-Iran war.
The opening ceremony on July 1 will include performances by several Israeli artists, including former Eurovision winner Netta Barzilai, Israel’s 2025 Eurovision representative Yuval Raphael, Italy Levy, Anna Zak, Idan Raichel, and former Hamas hostage and singer-songwriter Daniella Gilboa. Assi Azar and Anna Aronov will host the opening ceremony.
The traditional parade of delegations from around the world will also take place at the opening ceremony, and approximately 10,000 athletes from 60 countries are expected to march, according to organizers. American pro-Israel activist, dancer, and social media influencer Montana Tucker is expected to perform an original song and co-host the parade of athletes with American musician Michael Harpaz, according to Ynet.
During the Maccabiah Games, dozens of sporting events will be open to the public throughout the country. Pickleball will be included in this year’s event with singles, doubles, and mixed doubles competitions, while handball will return after a long hiatus, with competitions for both men and women. Padel, a sport introduced in the previous Maccabiah Games, will be extended in this year’s competition to include a masters category.
First held in 1932, the Maccabiah Games took a 15-year break between 1935 and 1950 because of tensions surrounding World War II and the establishment of the State of Israel. The 2021 Maccabiah Games were also postponed until the following year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Maccabiah Games is the world’s largest Jewish athletic competition and the second largest sporting event in the world after the Olympics in terms of the number of athletes competing.
