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Oli Sykes, Courtney LaPlante and producer-DJ Grabbitz performed “If the Sun Burns Out Tonight” during the opening ceremony for the VALORANT Champions Grand Finals in Shanghai on Sunday. The song is the official theme of Riot Games’ 2026 VALORANT Champions Tour; the ceremony featured large-scale staging as teams were introduced.
Bring Me the Horizon frontman Oli Sykes, Spiritbox singer Courtney LaPlante and producer-DJ Grabbitz performed “If the Sun Burns Out Tonight” at the opening ceremony for the VALORANT Champions Grand Finals in Shanghai on Sunday. The song is the official theme of Riot Games’ 2026 VALORANT Champions Tour, bringing its three credited artists together in a live performance for the tournament’s biggest event.
The ceremony performance paired Sykes and LaPlante onstage, with the singers trading verses and joining on the chorus. According to Consequence’s report, both rose from beneath the stage as the teams were introduced to the arena audience. Grabbitz also sang toward the end, and the three performers joined for the finale.
The production used large-scale staging and multiple dancers. Consequence likened the spectacle to a Super Bowl halftime show, a comparison describing the presentation rather than a formal connection to the NFL event. The performers’ appearance was woven into the team introductions, placing the music performance within the ceremony rather than presenting it as a separate concert.
The three artists had recorded the track as the official theme for Riot Games’ 2026 VALORANT Champions Tour, according to the source report. The Shanghai appearance brought that collaboration to the tournament’s Grand Finals stage. No additional performance details, such as the full set length or whether other songs were included, were reported.
A Live Showcase for VALORANT’s Theme
The performance gave the tournament’s official theme a prominent live setting at the Grand Finals opening ceremony, where teams were introduced before the arena crowd. For viewers following the music as well as the competition, it was a public onstage meeting of Sykes, LaPlante and Grabbitz, whose recorded collaboration had already been selected as the tour’s theme.
The scale of the staging also reflects how major esports events use entertainment to frame competition for an arena audience. The report confirms the use of dancers and elaborate production, but does not provide audience figures, broadcast reach or other measures of the ceremony’s impact. The event’s reach beyond those present in Shanghai is therefore not established by the available account.
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How the Three Artists Connected
“If the Sun Burns Out Tonight” was recorded by Sykes, LaPlante and Grabbitz as the official theme to Riot Games’ 2026 VALORANT Champions Tour, according to Consequence. The Grand Finals ceremony was a live presentation of that existing collaboration, rather than the reported debut of a newly announced song.
VALORANT Champions is the culminating event in the game’s competitive tour. In Shanghai, the performance took place as teams were being introduced to the arena, connecting the artists’ appearance directly to the tournament proceedings. The source account identifies the venue city and the Sunday ceremony but gives no further schedule or broadcast information.
“The performance at the esports event in Shanghai was akin to a Super Bowl halftime show.”
— Consequence
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Details Beyond the Ceremony
The available report does not state the performance’s duration, whether the artists played additional material, or whether the full ceremony video was released through an official channel. It also does not give attendance, viewership or audience-response figures. Those details should not be inferred from the description of the production as large-scale.
The source says the performance happened on Sunday but does not provide a calendar date in its account. The confirmed details are the Shanghai setting, the three performers, the song and its relationship to the 2026 tour.
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The Tournament After the Opening
The performance took place as part of the Grand Finals opening ceremony; the tournament itself remains the focus of the event. Consequence’s report does not specify the final match result or identify a subsequent music appearance by Sykes, LaPlante or Grabbitz. Further information about the ceremony, including an official full-length video or additional production details, would need to come from the artists, Riot Games or tournament organizers.
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Key Questions
Who performed at the VALORANT Champions ceremony?
Oli Sykes of Bring Me the Horizon, Courtney LaPlante of Spiritbox and producer-DJ Grabbitz performed together.
What song did they perform?
They performed “If the Sun Burns Out Tonight,” the official theme of Riot Games’ 2026 VALORANT Champions Tour.
Where and when did the performance take place?
It took place on Sunday in Shanghai, during the opening ceremony for the VALORANT Champions Grand Finals. The source report does not give a calendar date.
What was notable about the staging?
Consequence reported large-scale staging and multiple dancers. Sykes and LaPlante rose from beneath the stage, traded verses and joined on the chorus while teams were introduced; Grabbitz sang toward the finale.
Was the performance part of a Super Bowl event?
No. Consequence compared its production to a Super Bowl halftime show, but reported that it took place at the VALORANT Champions event in Shanghai.
Source: rss
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