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The Summer Olympics are big events that many people around the world look forward to every four years. The 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro drew in over 3 billion viewers, and it seems that the upcoming 2020 competition will be getting a whole lot of attention as well.

Aside from the exciting athletic matches, fans tune in to the Olympics for a host of other things as well. For example, performances from host countries often generate a lot of buzz in every corner of the globe.

With the Olympics in Tokyo getting closer and closer, people are no doubt wondering about what Japan has in store for spectators. Read on below to learn more about who might be performing for the Olympics this summer.

David Barnes poses during the Australian 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games Archery Team Announcement
David Barnes poses during the Australian 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games Archery Team Announcement | Matt King/Getty Images

How are performers incorporated into the Olympic games?

Performers are usually seen at the Olympics during the opening and closing ceremonies. These ceremonies are typically where the host country displays its culture in extravagant fashions and showcases the talents that it has to offer.

Although the Olympics focus on sports, some host countries do use the opening and closing ceremony performances to make headlines about its artists.

For example, the 2012 Olympics in London featured a Spice Girls reunion at its closing ceremony, which left many fans in awe.

Similarly, the 2008 Olympics in Beijing is still remembered for its impressive, jaw-dropping opening ceremony that included 15,000 performers who showcased elements of ancient Chinese culture.

Who do fans want to see at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo?

Tokyo has not revealed who will be performing, but since Japanese pop culture is gaining a large number of fans all over the world, there are a lot of famous artists that people would like to see at the 2020 Olympics.

Goo Rankings conducted a survey last year to figure out who the Japanese public is interested in. About 500 people responded and there was an even split between male and female respondents.

In first place with 17.4% of the total vote is Ryuichi Sakamoto. He is an artist who has been popular since the 1970s as part of the electronic group Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). Sakamoto is also known for composing music for various popular films, which led him to win several awards, including an Oscar, a Grammy, and two Golden Globes.

In second place with 17.2% of the vote is Southern All Stars, a pop-rock band that rose to fame in the 1970s. They took a break in 2008 before coming back in 2013, and the group is still considered very popular among the Japanese public.

In third place with 17.0% of the vote is the boy band Arashi. They debuted in the late 1990s and has since been considered one of the most successful groups in Japan and Asia as a whole. The individual members are stars themselves and hugely influential figures in the Japanese entertainment business.

Other artists that the Japanese public would like to see onstage during the Olympics include Mr. Children, Miku Hatsune, AKB48, One Ok Rock, and Babymetal.

Will the 2020 Summer Olympics be canceled because of the coronavirus?

With the novel coronavirus outbreak, many public events and performances have been canceled. Japan is among the top countries that have been hit hardest by the virus, so a lot of people are now wondering whether the Olympics should be happening this summer. After all, it is a huge event that gathers together numerous people all over the world — not an ideal scenario for keeping an infectious virus at bay.

So far, the Olympics have not been canceled, but a member of the International Olympic Committee has said that officials are still trying to figure out the best action to take. The decision will most likely not be announced until May.

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