Berklee and FIFA World Cup 26 Debut Official Boston Host City Theme Boston is the only host city to work with an educational institution to create its unique, original sound for the FIFA World Cup 26.
By
Tori Donahue
March 10, 2025
Students Ben Zakharenko and Dayvin worked on Boston's Sonic ID, an audio composition that connects the FIFA World Cup 26 with the local community in a unique and memorable way.
Kelly Davidson
FIFA World Cup 26 Boston Host City is proud to announce the debut of Boston's Sonic ID, an audio composition that connects the FIFA World Cup 26 with the local community in a unique and memorable way, created in collaboration with Berklee College of Music.
Each of the 16 host cities selected a local producer to remix the official FIFA World Cup 26 Theme, infusing it with the distinct rhythm, vibe, and cultural essence unique to their city. Boston is the only host city to partner with a college or university to create its unique soundscape. Listeners will hear Boston's Sonic ID at select city events, in Boston Stadium during matches, and throughout the region during Boston FIFA World Cup 26's marketing and communications campaign.
When we learned that we would be creating a unique Boston-infused sound for the FIFA World Cup 26, we knew that we wanted to work with the talented students and faculty at Berklee College of Music, said Julie Duffy, chief marketing and communications officer, FIFA World Cup 26 Boston. As a world-class institute of contemporary music and the performing arts, Berklee is the perfect collaborator for this inspirational project.
Working with Rodney Alejandro, dean of Berklees Professional Writing and Music Technology Division, and student composers Ben Zakharenko (studying electronic production and design and songwriting) and Dayvin (studying electronic production and design and game and interactive media scoring), the team found its inspiration in the city's diversity, rich history, and revolutionary spirit. Throughout the almost three-minute composition, listeners experience a mix of musical elements, from fife and fiddle interludes to acoustic guitar, '80s beats, and contemporary sounds.
We are honored that Berklee was selected as the only educational institution to partner with FIFA World Cup 2026 on the Sonic ID project. It's an amazing opportunity to showcase the immense talent of our students alongside artists from the other host cities around North America, said Berklee President Jim Lucchese. Congratulations to Berklee students Ben Zakharenko and Dayvin on creating a unique and memorable theme that will represent Boston at this truly global event.
Boston is a beautiful melting pot of cultures, and the Sonic ID has historical elements, hip-hop and rock leaning, and the sounds reflective of today's modern city, said Dayvin. Boston is also a coastal city, so you'll hear that expressed through water droplets and crashing waves.
It is important that this sound represents the community-everyone in the community, said Zakharenko. We incorporated Boston's Celtic origins and revolutionary spirit, its '80s beats, and found inspiration from local music legends, including Aerosmith, New Kids on the Block, the Dropkick Murphys, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
This is an incredible opportunity and a dream to partner with the biggest sports organization in the world to create something that will be heard on a global stage, said Alejandro. The magnitude of FIFA's reach is unfathomable and a well-deserved spotlight for Ben and Dayvin's talents.
Kicking off on Saturday, March 1, and continuing through Sunday, March 16, each host city will unveil its Sonic ID and its accompanying visualiser. This exciting rollout builds anticipation for the tournament, giving fans a daily dose of musical inspiration and a taste of the cultural heartbeat of the host cities.
The roster of producers and host cities include:
Saturday, March 1: Bombon (Houston)
Sunday, March 2: Dan the Automator (San Francisco Bay Area)
Monday, March 3: Mr. NaisGai (Miami)
Tuesday, March 4: Take a Daytrip (New York, New Jersey)
Wednesday, March 5: Sango (Seattle)
Thursday, March 6: Dallas Austin (Atlanta)
Friday, March 7: Mexican Institute of Sound (Mexico City)
Saturday, March 8: Hill Kourkoutis (Toronto)
Sunday, March 9: Ben Zakharenko and Dayvin, Berklee College of Music (Boston)
Monday, March 10: Grayson Repp (Vancouver)
Tuesday, March 11: Tech N9ne (Kansas City)
Wednesday, March 12: Toy Selectah (Monterrey)
Thursday, March 13: DJ Jazzy Jeff (Philadelphia)
Friday, March 14: DJ Flict (Los Angeles)
Saturday, March 15: Bautista (Guadalajara)
Sunday, March 16: Tre Nagella (Dallas)
Fans will be able to stream, download, and enjoy city-specific Sonic IDs on popular music platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and more, and watch each city's Sonic ID visualiser on FIFA's YouTube channel. Fans can follow the release of each Sonic ID at fifaworldcup.com.
About FIFA World Cup 26 Boston
FIFA World Cup 26 Boston (Boston 26) is the host city organizing committee leading the strategic planning and execution of the seven matches of the FIFA World Cup 26 awarded to Boston, including the official celebratory events taking place over a 39-day period surrounding the tournament. It aims to create and deliver memorable and safe experiences that promote the region. As a nonprofit organization, it is committed to creating sustainable and positive economic and social impact for all communities. For more information, visit BostonFWC26.com and @FWC26-Boston on Instagram.
Watch the video announcing Ben Zakharenko and Dayvin's FIFA World Cup 26 Boston Theme.
Related Categories
News
Most Popular
Toto in the recording studio from Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary.
Photograph by Jim Hagopian/HBO
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
13/05/2026
New Adobe Premiere Color Grading Mode Accelerated on NVIDIA GPUs
Joel Pennington May 13, 2026
0 Comments
New NVIDIA RTX-accelerated features streamlin...
13/05/2026
Grass Valley announced that dB Broadcast has delivered new IP-based outside broadcast (OB) trucks for Cloudbass, featuring Grass Valley LDX 100 Series cameras a...
13/05/2026
Ikegami will exhibit the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast production cameras, control units, viewfinders and monitors on stand 5D3-1 at Broadcast...
13/05/2026
FISE, working with the founding members of the XR Sports Alliance (XRSA), Accedo, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and HBS, have collaborated to develop an immersive...
13/05/2026
Canon Unveils New EOS R6 V Full-Frame EOS Camera and RF20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ Bu...
13/05/2026
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Honors Beth Morrison and Moses Pendleton at Comme...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Creative software developer Foundry today announced the latest developments on Nuke Stage. A purpose-built application for end-to-end virtual production and in-...
13/05/2026
A definitive portrait of one of Ireland's most influential musicians
New TV documentary airs Monday 18 May on RT One and RT Player at 9.35pm
Watch the...
13/05/2026
Agentic AI is changing the way users get work done. Following the success of OpenClaw, the community is embracing new open source agentic frameworks. The latest...
13/05/2026
Reinforcement-learning agents - AI systems that learn by trial and error - can c...
12/05/2026
Beyond the Hype: A Strategic Post-Hoc Analysis of NAB 2026 If NAB Show 2026 had an underlying theme, it was a quiet, industry-wide pivot from the high-energy sp...
12/05/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D), a Panoptec Technologies Group company, and CT Square, led by Chandresh Shah, have announced a joint venture to distribute G&D and V...
12/05/2026
With 30 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament in the United States, has announced th...
12/05/2026
The NHL has announced the return of Stanley Pup for its third consecutive year, a 90-minute special featuring adoptable rescue dogs competing on a miniature rin...
12/05/2026
NBCUniversal presented its 2026 Upfront to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall, detailing upcoming programming across NBC, Peacock, Bravo, and Versant properti...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced funding for the Fandom and Social Connection Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Publ...
12/05/2026
TNDV and Live Media, both divisions of Live Media Group, supported live broadcast coverage around NCAA Final Four weekend in Indianapolis, including the March M...
12/05/2026
The European Football Alliance (EFA) has announced a content distribution agreement with Fubo Sports Network, the free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel ...
12/05/2026
For the first time, Spanish-speaking fans in the U.S. will have two separate tel...
12/05/2026
CP Communications led a comprehensive spectrum management initiative on behalf of Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, coordinating RF assets across the ...
12/05/2026
LiveU has announced a strategic partnership with DRONERESPONDERS, a 501(c)3 non-...
12/05/2026
Open Broadcast Systems has announced that BMC TV, a specialist in IP transport of broadcast content, has selected the Open Broadcast Systems 5G Flyaway solution...
12/05/2026
NEP Europe, part of NEP Group, has announced it will deliver broadcast solutions...
12/05/2026
Grass Valley has announced continued collaboration with Ravensbourne University ...
12/05/2026
Stats Perform has announced the launch of Opta Pulse, an AI-assisted video creation and distribution platform for leagues, rights holders, and broadcasters. The...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced a collaboration with Sesame Workshop to integrate Sesame Street characters into FOX Sports' FIFA World Cup 2026 programming. Conten...
12/05/2026
To date, NHL Productions has produced 19 broadcasts with commentary in American Sign Language
NHL in ASL (American Sign Language) may be just one show, but the...
12/05/2026
Google's Brian Albert: creators, athletes, highlights, nostalgia, second-scr...
12/05/2026
A still from Past Lives by Celine Song, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | p...
12/05/2026
Spotify is where fans and artists come together, turning discovery into somethin...
12/05/2026
Features patented Marco-MMC clocking technology
Black Lion Audio's latest release combines the company's expertise in clocking with their renowned p...
12/05/2026
New Track Panel, sequencer upgrades & more
Following their recent public beta release, Reason Studios have announced the full release of Reason 14. With the...
12/05/2026
One month to go! SBS reveals expansive FIFA World Cup 2026 lineup beyond the pi...
12/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing at...
12/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has developed a modified fund raising p...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Tyrell Corporation, specialists in high-end live sports and entertainment broadcasts, was tasked with delivering compelling broadcast coverage of premier equest...
12/05/2026
Registration is now open for IBC2026 as the global media, entertainment and technology community prepares to converge on the RAI Amsterdam from 11 14 September ...
12/05/2026
Ross Video, a global leader in live video production technology, will present its latest innovations and integrated production workflows at BroadcastAsia 2026, ...
12/05/2026
500 selected leaders from around the world across start-ups, corporates, and venture capital. Over 50bn in assets under management among attending investors, a...
Berklee and FIFA World Cup 26 Debut Official Boston Host City Theme Boston is the only host city to work with an educational institution to create its unique, original sound for the FIFA World Cup 26.
