NFL sets record with seven halftime shows in seven cities
The NFL has turned its 2026 international season into a travelling music programme, with seven halftime shows in seven cities on four continents. The run is a record for the league, and all seven performances are presented by American Express.
That is up from six halftime shows in five cities last season. The details were laid out by Tim Tubito, the NFL's senior director of global game presentation and entertainment, in reporting published on Oct. 11 by Billboard. Tubito said it is an NFL priority to use music to amplify the emotion of the game and unite the communities represented wherever the league plays.
A halftime show, the short performance staged during the mid-game break, is familiar to United States audiences. On this tour, the format travels. The cities stretch from Australia to South America to Europe to North America across September, October and November.
The season started in Melbourne, Australia on Sept. 10, with the Jonas Brothers performing at halftime of the opening game. Pedro Sampaio and Ricky Martin performed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Sept. 27. Ayra Starr headlined the London game on Oct. 11 between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Four shows are still to come. Burna Boy is scheduled in Paris on Oct. 25 for a game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New Orleans Saints. It kicks off at 9:30 a.m. ET and is the league's first game in France, according to the NFL. Manuel Turizo follows in Madrid on Nov. 8, Cage the Elephant play Munich, Germany on Nov. 15, and The Warning will perform in Mexico City on Nov. 22 after an announcement on Oct. 10.
The league has confirmed the seven-show total as a record for its international games. The music expansion sits alongside a larger push abroad. NFL owners have approved up to 10 league-run international regular-season games per season, an increase from eight, Reuters reported. Those are regular-season fixtures played outside the United States, which gives organisers more dates to fill.
For fans, this means halftime looks different depending on where the game lands. A ticket in London, Paris or Rio buys the same league football, but the break is programmed for the city in the stands. Short sets. Local flavour. Same game clock.
