Ricky Martin & Pedro Sampaio to Headline NFL Halftime Show in Rio: ‘There’s Nothing Quite Like the Energy of the Brazilian People’
The Puerto Rican megastar & Brazilian DJ/singer/producer will perform at the Sept. 27 Ravens vs. Cowboys game.
Puerto Rican entertainer Ricky Martin and Brazilian DJ, singer, and producer Pedro Sampaio will headline the NFL halftime show for the 2026 Rio Game, according to a Monday (Aug. 17) announcement from the NFL. The high-profile event will take place on Sept. 27 at Brazil's Maracanã Stadium, marking the first-ever NFL regular-season game in the city. The Ravens will face the Cowboys at the iconic venue, with the show set to begin at 4:25 p.m. ET.
Sampaio, who grew up in Rio de Janeiro, expressed his excitement about performing alongside Martin, calling Maracanã a place where history was made. The Brazilian funk artist boasts over 14 billion audio and video streams globally and has collaborated with renowned Latin artists such as Anitta, Pabllo Vittar, J Balvin, and Nicky Jam.
Martin, a three-decade career veteran with more than 95 million albums sold, praised the Brazilian audience for their exceptional energy, stating he can't wait to reunite with fans at the historic Maracanã. The performance will be broadcast live on Globo's channels GETV and sportv, and limited-edition merchandise will be sold at NFL Shops in Rio.
Written by urgent.news from Billboard's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
