PARIS (XOL Africa) — Nigerian Grammy Award-winning artist Burna Boy will headline the halftime show at the first regular-season National Football League game in France when the Pittsburgh Steelers face the New Orleans Saints on Oct. 25 at Stade de France.
The NFL announced Thursday that Burna Boy will perform at the Paris game, which is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CEST. The performance will be part of a record seven halftime shows planned across the NFL’s 2026 international games.
“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. “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.”
Burna Boy, whose real name is Damini Ogulu, is one of Africa’s most internationally recognized recording artists. He has received 13 Grammy nominations and became the first African artist to perform on the main Grammy Awards telecast. In April 2025, he became the first African artist to headline a concert at Stade de France.
“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,” said Tim Tubito, the NFL’s senior director of global game presentation, music and entertainment.
“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,” Tubito said. “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 Oct. 25 game, presented by American Express, will be played in partnership with GL events and with the support of France’s Ministry of Sports. It marks the NFL’s first regular-season game in France.
Burna Boy’s halftime performance will be broadcast free-to-air in France on France Télévisions and on beIN Sports. L’Équipe will broadcast the game later that evening.
The Paris show is one of seven halftime performances scheduled as part of the NFL’s largest international season to date, with games spanning seven countries and four continents.
The previously announced performers are the Jonas Brothers in Melbourne on Sept. 10; Pedro Sampaio and Ricky Martin in Rio de Janeiro on Sept. 27; Ayra Starr in London on Oct. 11; Cage The Elephant in Munich on Nov. 15; and The Warning in Mexico City on Nov. 22.
The 2026 international schedule includes games in London, Madrid, Melbourne, Mexico City, Munich, Paris and Rio de Janeiro. London will host three games, with two at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and one at Wembley Stadium.
The NFL said 62 regular-season games have been played outside the United States, with London, Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Madrid, Dublin, São Paulo, Mexico City and Toronto among the cities that have hosted games.
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