Burna Boy to headline halftime show at 2026 NFL Paris game

Nigerian Afrobeats sensation Burna Boy will take the stage for the halftime show at the 2026 NFL Paris Game. The electrifying artist, whose real name is Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, will headline the halftime show during Sunday's showdown between the New Orleans Saints and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Born in Nigeria, Burna Boy has become a global sensation with his unique blend of reggae, dancehall, and Afro-fusion melodies.

He has already scored nine tracks on the Billboard Hot 100, including his viral collaboration with Shakira for the FIFA World Cup 2026, which topped global charts and amassed over one billion views on YouTube. In 2021, Burna Boy won the prestigious Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album with his album "Twice As Tall." France holds a special place in the heart of the Afrobeats star, as it is his third most popular streaming market, after the United States and the United Kingdom.

On April 18, 2025, Burna Boy became the first African artist to headline a solo concert at Stade de France, drawing over 80,000 fans for a sold-out show. Reflecting on his return to Paris, Burna Boy said, "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 2026 NFL Paris Game will be broadcast on France Télévisions, beIN Sports, and L’Équipe will also air the event later that evening. With the NFL expanding globally, the league will play a record nine games outside the United States this season, including Paris as one of three cities hosting its first regular-season match. NFL senior director of global game presentation, music, and entertainment Tim Tubito expressed his excitement for the upcoming event, stating, "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. Bringing Burna Boy back to perform in front of a global audience gives us the chance to create something genuinely memorable." The NFL Paris Game is set to kick off at 9:30 a.m. ET (2:30 p.m. CEST) on Sunday, Oct. 25.