Three local First Nations will help welcome the world to the 2026 FIFA World Cup next year through a remix of the massive event's theme song.
FIFA released the Vancouver remix of the World Cup theme song Monday after local producer and DJ Grayson Repp worked with səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nation artists to bring the song to life. The Vancouver remix features First Nation vocals and instruments while blending electronic dance music sounds.
“The concept actually started with pen and paper. I wrote down all the sights and sounds of Vancouver – so I incorporated sounds of waves crashing, rain falling – and then what really brought it together was working with the First Nations, and I think that’s what made it so special,” Repp said in a press video.
Each host city has partnered with a local producer to remix the main theme song and incorporate a distinct vibe for each location, a first in FIFA World Cup history. Vancouver and Toronto will be hosting games in Canada, along with three cities in Mexico and 11 in the U.S.
But the Vancouver song is the only FIFA World Cup 26 remix highlighting local Indigenous artists.
Tsleil-Waututh Nation musicians Hunas (William George-Thomas) and Robert D. George were some of the artists featured, beating a rhythm with a traditional hand drum and singing the Nation’s welcome song.
The Tsleil-Waututh Nation’s welcome song is used to greet people to events or circles, George-Thomas said. Also known as the “Welcome to the Day” song, it dates back centuries but has been used predominately since the 1950s when then Chief Dan George and his children used it in performances around Vancouver.
“The welcome song embodies a welcoming spirit to wherever you’re going,” George-Thomas said to the North Shore News. “I think it was just one of those kind of obvious ones to do when you’re welcoming so many people into our territory.”
Squamish Nation and Musqueam Indian Band artists also incorporated versions of their welcome songs, George-Thomas said.
Remix a step towards international reconciliation and healing, councillor says
Music and sports often intertwine with each other, and George-Thomas said it’s important to have these types of showcase opportunities that previously didn't exist.
“If it wasn’t for stuff like this, [people] won’t even hear the words, Musqueam, Squamish or Tsleil-Waututh. They’ll have no idea that they happen to be on these lands while they’re at FIFA,” he said.
Uplifting voices of Indigenous artists to be included in these songs helps people know about the Nations on an international scale, but also helps create inclusivity, Squamish Nation elected councillor Sxwíxwtn (Wilson Williams) said.
“When we look at the power of sport and what healing it provides for our people and empowerment it provides for humanity, it touches home,” Williams said. “I think as we live and breathe in the world today, it is needed.”
Although Williams wasn’t in the song production, he feels a part of it as the song’s sounds incorporate culture from the Squamish Nation.
“The power of sport through [the] World Cup allows us to share who we are, where we come from, but also share and empower other Indigenous people across the world,” he said.
Click on the video below to hear the Vancouver remix, or check out FIFA's YouTube channel for a full video version of the song complete with visuals from around the Vancouver area. Included in the video are stops at popular spots such as Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, Grouse Mountain, Granville Island, Stanley Park, Mount Seymour, Deep Cove, Davie Street and, of course, BC Place.
Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
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