The National Football League announced today that GRAMMY® Award-winning Nigerian artist Burna Boy will headline the halftime performance at the 2026 NFL Paris Game. The show will take place on Sunday, October 25, 2026, during the first regular-season NFL contest ever staged in France, featuring the Pittsburgh Steelers against the New Orleans Saints at Stade de France. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CEST (9:30 a.m. ET).
The Paris appearance forms part of a record seven halftime shows planned across the NFL’s 2026 International Games series, spanning seven countries and four continents as the league expands its global footprint.
Burna Boy returns to Stade de France after making history there in April 2025 as the first African artist to headline a solo concert at the venue, performing to a sold-out crowd of more than 80,000. In a statement released with the announcement, the artist reflected on the significance of the moment:
“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. 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.”
Tim Tubito, senior director of global game presentation, music and entertainment at the NFL, underscored the cultural fit of the booking: “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. 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 2026 NFL Paris Game, presented by American Express and staged in partnership with GL events with support from the French Ministry of Sports, will be broadcast live in France free-to-air on France Télévisions and on beIN Sports, with L’Équipe airing the game later the same evening. Burna Boy’s full halftime performance will be included in the French coverage.
The booking continues the NFL’s strategy of pairing international games with high-profile musical acts. Other confirmed 2026 international halftime performers include Ricky Martin and Pedro Sampaio in Rio de Janeiro, Ayra Starr in London, Cage the Elephant in Munich, and Mexican rock trio The Warning in Mexico City.
Burna Boy’s selection highlights the growing global influence of Afrobeats and African music on major international stages.