The National Football League announced Thursday that Grammy Award-winning Nigerian artist Burna Boy will headline the halftime show at the 2026 NFL Paris Game, marking a major cultural moment for both American football and African music on one of Europe’s biggest stages.
The historic matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New Orleans Saints is scheduled for Sunday, October 25, at Stade de France in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CEST (9:30 a.m. ET). It will be the first regular-season NFL game ever played in France, part of the league’s most ambitious international slate to date.
Burna Boy, whose real name is Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, expressed excitement about returning to the same stadium where he made history the previous year. In April 2025 he became the first African artist to headline a solo concert at Stade de France, performing to a sold-out crowd of more than 80,000.
“Paris gave me one of the biggest nights of my career, and to walk back into Stade de France for a moment like this means everything,” Burna Boy said in a statement. “The NFL is bringing something to France that has never happened here before, and I get to stand in the middle of it representing African music and I intend to give the people a show they will not forget.”
NFL officials echoed that sentiment. Tim Tubito, the league’s senior director of global game presentation, music and entertainment, called the choice fitting for the occasion.
“The first NFL game in France deserves a halftime moment that matches the occasion, and there is no artist better suited to it than Burna Boy,” Tubito said. “Paris is one of the great cultural capitals of the world, and African music sits right at the heart of what the city listens to. Burna Boy has already made history in this stadium, and bringing him back to perform in front of a global audience gives us the chance to create something genuinely memorable.”
The performance forms part of a record seven halftime shows planned across the 2026 NFL International Games. Those shows will span seven countries and four continents as the league stages its largest overseas schedule ever.
Other announced acts include Ricky Martin and Pedro Sampaio in Rio de Janeiro, Ayra Starr in London, Cage the Elephant in Munich, and The Warning in Mexico City. The Jonas Brothers performed earlier in the season during the Melbourne game.
For Burna Boy the booking continues a remarkable run of high-profile global appearances. The Afrobeats star collaborated with Shakira on “Dai Dai,” the official anthem of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and performed during related ceremonies earlier in the year.
His catalog of hits, including tracks that have topped charts across Africa, Europe and beyond, has helped push Afrobeats further into mainstream international awareness. A Grammy winner with multiple nominations, he has long positioned himself as both a musical innovator and a cultural ambassador for African creativity.
The Paris game itself carries broader significance for the NFL’s global strategy. Presented by American Express and staged in partnership with GL events and with support from the French Ministry of Sports, the contest will introduce regular-season American football to a new market.
Stade de France, France’s national stadium, has previously hosted the FIFA World Cup, Rugby World Cup, UEFA European Championship finals and events during the 2024 Paris Olympics. Its capacity and prestige make it a natural choice for the league’s French debut.
Broadcast plans reflect the event’s importance in the local market. Burna Boy’s full halftime performance will air live and free-to-air in France on France Télévisions and on beIN Sports. The channel L’Équipe will broadcast the game later the same evening. International audiences will also have access through the NFL’s usual global distribution partners.
Tickets for the game have been on sale for months, with hospitality packages and general admission options available. Pricing uses an all-in model that includes fees upfront. Demand is expected to remain strong given the novelty of the matchup and the added draw of a major concert interlude.
Beyond the Field
Beyond the on-field competition and the musical spectacle, the day will serve as a showcase for the growing intersection of sports and global popular culture. The NFL has increasingly paired its international games with high-profile artists, recognizing that music can expand the league’s reach and create lasting memories for fans who may be experiencing live American football for the first time.
Burna Boy’s selection also underscores the rising influence of African artists on major Western stages. From stadium concerts to sports-entertainment hybrids, performers from the continent continue to claim prominent platforms that were once largely closed to them. His return to Stade de France in an NFL context adds another chapter to that story.
As October 25 approaches, both the Steelers and Saints will prepare for the unique challenges of an overseas game-travel, time-zone shifts and the atmosphere of a passionate new crowd. For spectators in the stands and watching around the world, the afternoon will offer more than football.
It will deliver a carefully staged cultural exchange, with one of Africa’s biggest stars at its center.
The NFL has framed the entire 2026 international program as a statement of ambition. By bringing the league to new cities and pairing the games with artists who resonate locally and globally, officials hope to build lasting fan bases far beyond North America. The Paris halftime show with Burna Boy stands as one of the clearest expressions of that vision so far.
When the lights hit the stage at Stade de France and Burna Boy begins his set, the moment will mark more than a commercial booking. It will represent a convergence of sports, music and cultural representation on a historic French stage-one that both the artist and the league clearly intend to make unforgettable.
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