Nigerian Afrobeats superstar Burna Boy is set to headline the halftime show at the 2026 NFL Paris Game, marking another major international milestone for the Grammy-winning singer.
The National Football League announced that Burna Boy will perform at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis on Sunday, October 25, during the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New Orleans Saints.
The game will kick off at 2:30 p.m. Central European Summer Time and will make history as the first regular-season NFL game to be played in France.
For Burna Boy, the performance will also mark a return to one of the most important venues in his career.
Burna Boy returns to Stade de France
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Burna Boy previously made history at the Stade de France in April 2025 when he became the first African artist to headline a solo concert at the stadium.
His 2026 NFL halftime performance will therefore bring him back to the same venue for another major international event.
Reflecting on the announcement, Burna Boy said returning to the stadium was particularly meaningful following the memorable experience he had there in 2025.
“Paris gave me one of the biggest nights of my career,” the singer said in a statement released by the NFL.
He added that being part of the NFL’s first event in France would allow him to represent African music on another global stage.
NFL chooses Burna Boy for historic Paris game
The NFL said Burna Boy’s international profile and his connection with Paris made him a fitting choice for the halftime performance.
Tim Tubito, the league’s senior director of global game presentation, music and entertainment, said the first NFL game in France deserved a major halftime moment.
He also pointed to Burna Boy’s previous history at the Stade de France and the popularity of African music in Paris.
The singer’s selection places Afrobeats at the centre of one of the NFL’s biggest international events of the 2026 season.
Steelers and Saints to face off in Paris
The NFL Paris Game will see the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the New Orleans Saints at the Stade de France.
It is part of the league’s expanded 2026 international schedule, which features games across multiple countries and continents.
The NFL has announced seven international halftime shows for the season, pairing its overseas games with major music performances.
Other artists announced for the international series include Ayra Starr, Ricky Martin, Pedro Sampaio, Cage the Elephant, The Warning and the Jonas Brothers.
The Paris fixture is particularly significant because France is a new market for the NFL’s regular-season schedule.
Another major milestone for Burna Boy
The Paris announcement adds to a growing list of international milestones in Burna Boy’s career.
The Nigerian singer has become one of Africa’s most internationally recognised music stars, taking Afrobeats and Afro-fusion to major arenas and stadiums around the world.
His return to the Stade de France also comes after his headline concert at the venue in 2025, when he became the first African artist to headline a solo show there.
Burna Boy has also performed on some of the world’s biggest stages and has continued to expand his audience beyond Africa.
His upcoming NFL appearance will expose his music to another large international audience while placing an African artist at the centre of the league’s historic French debut.
Burna Boy promises a memorable performance
With the NFL Paris Game approaching, attention will now turn to what Burna Boy has planned for the halftime show.
The singer has already promised to deliver a performance that audiences will remember.
For Nigerian and African music fans, the event will provide another opportunity to see an African superstar perform at a major global sporting event.
The October 25 game will combine the NFL’s first regular-season appearance in France with Burna Boy’s return to a stadium where he previously made African music history.
Official announcement from the NFL.
