Ayra Starr became the first African artist to headline an NFL International Games halftime show on Sunday, October 11, when the Nigerian singer performed at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium during the Jaguars’ 19-17 win over the Eagles. The next act on the league’s overseas stage is another Nigerian star: Burna Boy headlines halftime of Steelers–Saints at the Stade de France in Paris on October 25.
The two shows sit inside the biggest halftime program the NFL has staged outside the United States. The league’s full 2026 lineup has seven headliners across seven countries and four continents, presented by American Express, up from six shows in five countries in 2025.
What Ayra Starr performed in London
Starr, 24, opened with “Heaven Baby,” her collaboration with Zayn Malik, and moved through “Santa,” “Hot Body,” “Rush” and “Dangerous.” The set leaned on her catalog and on Starrgirl, the third studio album she released in August with features from Zayn, Leon Thomas and Wizkid. The league has credited her with more than seven billion global streams since her 2021 debut.
“I am so excited to perform at the NFL halftime show in London,” Starr said when the league announced her booking. “London is one of my favorite places in the world and to bring Starrgirl to the NFL global stage is a dream come true for me.” After the show she called it “crazy” and “amazing” in a video shared online, and on Monday she announced a Starrgirl world tour, with presale tickets opening Wednesday and general sale on Friday.
On the field, the afternoon ended with Cam Little’s 57-yard field goal at the gun, and Jacksonville stayed in London for Sunday’s Wembley game against Houston.
The full 2026 International Games halftime lineup
Nine regular-season games are being played abroad in 2026, but only seven have a halftime headliner on the league’s list. The two London games without one are the Colts–Commanders opener at Tottenham on October 4 and Sunday’s Texans–Jaguars game at Wembley, which closes the London series.
| Date | Stadium | Game | Halftime headliner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu., Sept. 10 | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne | 49ers 27, Rams 7 | Jonas Brothers |
| Sun., Sept. 27 | Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro | Ravens 34, Cowboys 31 | Pedro Sampaio and Ricky Martin |
| Sun., Oct. 4 | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London | Colts 30, Commanders 13 | No headliner listed |
| Sun., Oct. 11 | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London | Jaguars 19, Eagles 17 | Ayra Starr |
| Sun., Oct. 18 | Wembley Stadium, London | Texans vs. Jaguars | No headliner listed |
| Sun., Oct. 25 | Stade de France, Paris | Steelers vs. Saints | Burna Boy |
| Sun., Nov. 8 | Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid | Bengals vs. Falcons | Manuel Turizo |
| Sun., Nov. 15 | FC Bayern Munich Arena, Munich | Patriots vs. Lions | Cage The Elephant |
| Sun., Nov. 22 | Estadio Banorte, Mexico City | Vikings vs. 49ers | The Warning |
“Finding the right artist for each market is the most important thing we do,” said Tim Tubito, the NFL’s senior director of global game presentation and entertainment, when the lineup was confirmed on October 10. “We want every fan in every one of those venues to feel that this show was made for them.”
Who is still to come
Burna Boy’s Paris show will be the second straight international halftime led by a Nigerian artist, at the first NFL regular-season game ever played in France. Colombian singer Manuel Turizo follows at the Bernabéu for Bengals–Falcons on November 8, Kentucky rock band Cage The Elephant plays Munich for Patriots–Lions on November 15, and Monterrey sister trio The Warning closes the overseas slate at Estadio Banorte for Vikings–49ers on November 22.
The two shows already played outside Europe are below: the Jonas Brothers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground for the season-opening 49ers–Rams game, and Pedro Sampaio with Ricky Martin at the Maracanã before the Ravens edged the Cowboys 34-31.
Super Bowl LXI’s own halftime headliner for February 14 at SoFi Stadium has still not been announced.
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