Ayra Starr to Headline NFL London Halftime Show — a First for Afrobeats
Ayra Starr will headline the halftime show at an NFL international game in London this October, becoming the first Afrobeats artist booked for the slot, according to Billboard.
The Nigerian singer performs during the NFL London Game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, Oct. 11, kicking off at 2:30 p.m. BST (9:30 a.m. ET) at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The halftime set will broadcast free-to-air on Channel 5 and on Sky Sports.
The performance is part of a record seven halftime shows across the NFL's 2026 international matches, presented by American Express. Starr joins a roster of global halftime performers this season: the Jonas Brothers play the NFL's Melbourne match on Sept. 10, and Ricky Martin and Pedro Sampaio perform in Rio de Janeiro on Sept. 27.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, in north London, hosts two NFL regular-season games in October. The first — Indianapolis Colts versus Washington Commanders — is scheduled for Oct. 4, a week before Starr takes the stage.
In a statement, Starr said she was excited to perform at the NFL halftime show in London and noted that her third studio album, Starrgirl, landed at No. 4 on Billboard's World Albums Chart. The 22-year-old artist, born Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe, vaulted to the forefront of Afrobeats with her 2022 single "Rush," which has amassed over 800 million streams (Roc Nation).
Tim Tubito, the NFL's senior director of global game presentation, music and entertainment, said the league looks forward to collaborating with Starr on a halftime performance that "captures the moment."
For fans, the booking puts one of Afrobeats' fastest-rising names on a stage that has historically leaned toward American pop and rock acts. The NFL's international expansion — now spanning London, Melbourne and Rio in a single season — gives each host city a halftime act with regional resonance, and Starr's selection slots Afrobeats into that picture for the first time.
