The King and Queen will attend the official opening of the Scottish Parliament later this month, with the monarch due to give an address at Holyrood. The ceremony, steeped in tradition, marks the formal start of the parliamentary session. While no further details have been released, the event is expected to draw political leaders and dignitaries to Edinburgh.
Across the Atlantic, another kind of opening ceremony is taking shape. In Toronto, Canadian-born Bollywood star Nora Fatehi is preparing to perform her official Fifa song, Siir Siir, at the World Cup opener on Friday. The track, inspired by the Moroccan football chant meaning “go, go”, is a blend of Moroccan Darija, Arabic, French and English, created alongside Vegedream and Sanjoy. Its video, shot in the streets of Morocco, reflects how football evolves from neighbourhood kickabouts to global arenas.
“King to address Holyrood; Bollywood star Nora Fatehi to perform World Cup song in Toronto.”
Fatehi, who left Toronto at 22 to pursue a career in India and became a prominent Bollywood face, says returning to perform on home turf is “surreal”. She previously performed at the Qatar World Cup closing ceremony in 2022 but calls this moment more special. “It’s a story of resilience,” she told BBC Newsbeat. “It’s a story of someone who dared to dream.”
The singer has been rehearsing intensively and undergoing costume fittings to ensure the performance is “energetic, impactful and dynamic”. She hopes the song can become a global rallying call for all teams in the tournament, saying, “This is the time that we celebrate talent – and music and football really do come hand in hand.” Fatehi will back Morocco during the World Cup, noting they “went through hell and back” to qualify.