April 16, 2025 (Los Angeles, CA) — Pepsi® and UC3 are excited to announce that LINKIN PARK will headline the UEFA Champions League final Kick Off Show presented by Pepsi on May 31st at the Munich Football Arena. Pepsi and UEFA will once again mark the final with its eagerly anticipated curtain raiser, with the event set to be an unforgettable experience just minutes ahead of the match.
LINKIN PARK recently made a triumphant return to the spotlight with the release of From Zero, their first new music in seven years. The album hit the top of the charts across the globe and features #1 smashes “Heavy Is The Crown” and “The Emptiness Machine,” which surged as the biggest rock song of 2024 with over 250 million streams. Notably, as reported by Billboard, LINKIN PARK was the one-and-only rock band to cross over 2 Billion yearly streams in 2024. The momentum continues this year with their ferocious new single “Up From The Bottom,” taken from their upcoming From Zero (Deluxe Edition), releasing on May 16. Meanwhile, the band continues their massive From Zero World Tour, picking up next in Austin, TX on April 26, winding their way across sold-out stadiums in Europe for the summer, and culminating in South America this fall.
Now, for 2025, LINKIN PARK is taking its brand-new era to new heights, by revealing that they will be taking the stage at this year’s UEFA Champions League final Kick Off Show presented by Pepsi, with a setlist representing the best of their legacy, past and present.
To announce this iconic collaboration, LINKIN PARK has composed and recorded an electrifying new remix which features in a short film to mark the announcement. The featured track blends the band’s iconic sound with the culture of European football, incorporating the immediately recognisable riffs of their 4X Platinum hit “Numb,” with sounds inspired by UEFA Champions League football – the strike of leather, the whistle of a free kick, the sounds of the most passionate fans in the world. The film goes on to deliver an emotionally charged performance of the new bespoke track, together with high-octane UEFA Champions League football footage, paying homage to the way the UEFA Champions League final Kick-Off Show presented by Pepsi clashes football and entertainment together to create one night of epic entertainment.
LINKIN PARK commented: “With our new album and ongoing tour, we’ve been overwhelmed by the fans’ energy and excitement. We can’t wait to share that same energy and excitement at the UEFA Champions League final Kick Off Show presented by Pepsi. This marks a totally new experience for us as a band, and we’re excited to share some of our favorite songs from the past and present, with the thousands in the crowd and millions watching around the world.”
Eric Melis, VP of Global Brand Marketing – Pepsi at PepsiCo added: “We are proud to announce that one of the most influential rock bands of the 21st century will be headlining this year’s UEFA Champions League final Kick Off Show presented by Pepsi. This marks our ninth year bringing together millions of viewers from around the world, with LINKIN PARK sure to put on a show like no other, live from the Munich Football Arena in Germany. We’re delighted to be working with a group of artists who live by our ‘Thirsty For More’ philosophy, reflecting the same spirit of innovation and boldness that Pepsi embodies – and we can’t wait to see how fans react to this unmissable show.”
Guy-Laurent Epstein, Co-Managing Director, UC3, said: “This year’s UEFA Champions League final Kick Off Show presented by Pepsi promises to be a spectacular moment, with one of the world’s most iconic rock bands performing live just minutes before the biggest match in European club football. Together with Pepsi, we’re proud to continue enhancing the fan experience – both in the stadium and for millions watching around the world – with unforgettable entertainment on and off the pitch.”
Once more, Pepsi and UEFA have marked the UEFA Champions League final with a momentous music performance showcasing the world’s most iconic artists and uniting football and music fans through one compelling entertainment spectacle. The UEFA Champions League final Kick Off Show presented by Pepsi will be aired all around the world and territories globally, just minutes before the stand-out fixture of the club football calendar commences and is the embodiment of Pepsi’s ‘Thirsty For More’ global platform.
Fans can tune in to watch the Kick Off Show via their local broadcaster and through the official UEFA YouTube channel. Fans are encouraged to stay in-the-know by following Pepsi on Instagram, X (formally Twitter), and Facebook.
#PEPSIKICKOFFSHOW
About LINKIN PARK
LINKIN PARK emerged as an innovative musical force and are one of the best-selling artists of the last twenty years. Their RIAA Diamond-certified full-length debut, Hybrid Theory, stands out as the “best selling debut of the 21st century,” while landmark sophomore album Meteora bowed at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 before going 8X-Platinum in the U.S. The band’s worldwide sales across the entire catalog eclipses 100 million, and among numerous accolades and honors, they have garnered 2 GRAMMY® Awards, 5 American Music Awards, 4 MTV VMA Awards, 10 MTV Europe Music Awards and 3 World Music Awards. Selling out stadiums worldwide, they’ve headlined the largest festivals globally and also remain the first and only Western rock band to play a five-stadium tour in China. 2017’s One More Light marked their fifth #1 debut on the Billboard 200. In 2020, the band celebrated their groundbreaking debut album, Hybrid Theory, by releasing a comprehensive 20th anniversary edition super deluxe box set which features their RIAA Diamond-certified single “In The End.” In 2023, the band released Meteora 20th Anniversary Edition, which topped the charts and featured the newly-uncovered song “Lost.” The emotionally charged single was originally recorded during sessions for their second studio album Meteora (2003), and soon after its 2023 release, “Lost” hit #1 at both Alternative and Rock radio. 2024 marked the release of their first greatest hits package Papercuts, featuring vault track “Friendly Fire” that similarly topped both the Alternative and Rock charts. On September 5, the band made a triumphant return to the top of the charts with “The Emptiness Machine,” which exploded as the #1 rock song in the country and the biggest rock song of 2024. It made a rapid climb to #1 on both the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay Chart and Alternative Airplay Chart. In total, the band have scored a staggering 13 #1 entries on the latter chart (the second-most in history) with three in the last eighteen months. LINKIN PARK released their 8th studio album From Zero on November 15 on Warner Records, once again topping charts around the world and eclipsing a billion streams. The band have always prioritized charity and goodwill in an effort to make the world a better place, helping to raise millions over the years for victims of natural disasters. Today, LINKIN PARK’s imprint on music and culture continues to expand and magnify.
About the UEFA Champions League final Kick Off Show Presented by Pepsi
Since its inauguration in 2016, Pepsi has brought live global music talent to the world’s most watched annual football event, evolving the UEFA Champions League final into a truly global entertainment platform.
Pepsi has a rich heritage in football entertainment and has long championed the diversity of artists and genres. So, who better to headline the UEFA Champions League final Kick Off Show presented by Pepsi than one of the most influential rock bands of the 21st century, LINKIN PARK, who inspired a generation and are back to inspire and entertain once again.
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated nearly $92 billion in net revenue in 2024, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo’s product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with pep+ (PepsiCo Positive). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on X (Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo.
About UC3
UC3 unites European football’s governing body UEFA and the European Club Association (ECA), representing more than 700 top European clubs, around a new vision for managing commercial rights to UEFA club competitions (the “UCCs”). It is the commercial entity responsible for generating revenues from the UCCs and creating value for our partners. UC3 oversees the management, sales and delivery of all commercial rights (including media, sponsorship and licensing rights) for UEFA’s elite men’s and women’s club competitions
