The 2026 Maccabiah Games will officially kick off on July 1 with a star-studded opening ceremony at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem, featuring leading Israeli and American performers, hundreds of dancers, spectacular pyrotechnics and the traditional parade of Jewish athletes from around the world.
Ticket sales for the ceremony opened this week. The theme of this year’s Maccabiah is “More Than Ever,” according to a press release issued on Monday.
“This year, in the spirit of the annual message ‘More Than Ever,’ the Maccabiah 2026 Opening Ceremony will accommodate its largest capacity yet,” the press release stated. “Sales have now opened, and due to the expected demand, it is recommended to secure seats in advance.”
Among the featured performers billed for the opening ceremony is popular American actress, social media personality and Israel advocate Montana Tucker.
Tucker will perform an original song and co-host the athletes’ parade with American-Israeli musician and content creator Michael HarPaz. Together, they will welcome competitors from around the globe.
Yuval Raphael, Israel’s representative at the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest, will open the evening with a new musical arrangement. Netta Barzilai, who won the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest for Israel, is scheduled to perform a duet with Anna Zak, a Russian-Israeli singer, actress and social media personality.
Idan Raichel, one of Israel’s most accomplished musicians, will be joined on stage by former hostages Daniella Gilboa and Edan Alexander for a special performance of some of his best-known songs.
Hosted by Israeli TV personality Assi Azar and dancer Anna Aronov and directed by Eldar Gohar Grossman, the opening ceremony will include the lighting of the Maccabiah torch, large-scale multimedia displays on two giant LED screens and a procession of thousands of athletes representing Jewish communities worldwide.
Often referred to as the “Jewish Olympics,” the 22nd Maccabiah will take place from July 1-13 and is expected to bring together some 8,000 athletes from 55 countries competing in more than 30 sports.
Gates will open for the July 1 ceremony at 5 p.m., with the program beginning at 7:30 p.m. Israel time.
Opening ceremony tickets are available to the public starting at 99 shekels. JNS readers can receive a special 10% promotional discount on the price of tickets. Go to https://tickets.leaan.net/event/-25-bawho9 and type “JNS10" when prompted to “Add Promo Code.”
