Nigerian Afrobeats star Burna Boy will headline the halftime show at the inaugural 2026 NFL Paris Game, marking another major international platform for African music, Pulse reported. The National Football League announced that the Grammy Award winning singer will perform on October 25 at the Stade de France in Saint Denis, during the regular season matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints. The game will be the first NFL regular season game played in France and will form part of a record seven NFL International Games featuring halftime performances across seven countries and four continents. According to the NFL, Burna Boy has received 13 Grammy nominations and became the first African artist to headline a concert at Stade de France when he performed there in April 2025.
Burna Boy’s return to Stade de France places one of Africa’s biggest music exports at the centre of the NFL’s international expansion strategy. The Nigerian singer said returning to the stadium for the NFL event was particularly meaningful, noting that he would be “representing African music” before a global audience. NFL Senior Director of Global Game Presentation, Music and Entertainment Tim Tubito said the choice reflects both Burna Boy’s previous history at the venue and the strong connection between African music and Paris. The NFL Paris Game, presented by American Express and staged with support from the French Ministry of Sports, will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CEST on October 25, with Burna Boy’s performance broadcast live in France on France Télévisions and beIN Sports.
The announcement further demonstrates the growing commercial intersection between African music, global sports and international entertainment, with the NFL using major music performances to deepen its presence in new markets. Burna Boy joins an international lineup that includes Ayra Starr at the NFL London Game, Pedro Sampaio and Ricky Martin in Rio de Janeiro, Cage The Elephant in Munich and The Warning in Mexico City. For Nigerian music, the NFL Paris halftime show provides another high visibility platform for Afrobeats and Afro-fusion, connecting one of Africa’s most commercially successful music exports with the global audience of American football. Burna Boy’s previous Stade de France milestone and his Grammy recognition add further international weight to an appearance that places Nigerian popular culture at the centre of the NFL’s first regular season game in France.
