BlizzCon 2026 Opening Ceremony: Start Time, How to Watch, and What to Expect

BlizzCon 2026 kicks off September 12 with a 75-minute opening ceremony. Here's how to watch, start times, and what to expect from Blizzard's biggest franchises.

Ready for BlizzCon 2026? The opening ceremony is almost here, and it's the first BlizzCon in two years. Blizzard is ready to celebrate its past, present, and future with a jam-packed show, followed by two days of panels and interviews covering everything from Warcraft to Overwatch.

If you're not heading to Anaheim, don't worry—you can watch from home. The opening ceremony will be livestreamed on Blizzard's official YouTube, Twitch, and Battle.net channels. So grab your snacks and get comfy.

The show kicks off on September 12 and runs for roughly 75 minutes. Here are the start times for your time zone: 10:30 AM PT, 1:30 PM ET, 5:30 PM GMT, 6:30 PM BST, 7:30 PM CET, 2:30 AM JST (September 13), and 3:30 AM AEST (September 13). Set your alarms!

One thing to note: the musical performance won't be livestreamed. It's exclusive to attendees. This year's headline act is K-pop group Le Sserafim, and international music duo Yoasobi will perform during BlizzCon's first-ever esports halftime show in the Overwatch World Cup Arena. So if you're there in person, you're in for a treat.

As for what to expect, we're betting on Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo, and Overwatch taking the spotlight. Blizzard is already teasing something for StarCraft, and fans are predicting a shooter reveal or Nexon developing the next entry. Diablo turns 30 this year, so we might see legacy games celebrated and maybe even a first look at a new Diablo 4 expansion. Overwatch will likely focus on competitive play, with a reveal trailer for the next hero and the conclusion of the Reign of Talon storyline.

And in Azeroth, a new World of Warcraft expansion reveal is almost a sure thing. BlizzCon has been the launching pad for multiple WoW expansion reveals, so we're ready for a cinematic trailer for The Last Titan. There might also be a new version of WoW Classic shown off. Overall, it looks like a bumper show to kick off the BlizzCon weekend.

What are you most excited to see? Will you be watching the opening ceremony live? Let us know in the comments!