Afrobeats is heading to one of American sport’s biggest global platforms. The NFL has confirmed that Ayra Starr will headline the halftime show at the 2026 NFL London Game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Jacksonville Jaguars, staged at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, October 11.
Kick-off is set for 2:30 p.m. BST (9:30 a.m. ET), with the Beninese-Nigerian singer becoming the first Afrobeats artist to headline a halftime show at an NFL international fixture. Her full performance will be broadcast live and free-to-air in the United Kingdom on 5, as well as on Sky Sports.
“I am so excited to perform at the NFL halftime show in London,” Starr said in a statement announcing the booking. She described the British capital as one of her favourite places in the world and called the chance to bring her new album to the league’s global stage a dream.
Tim Tubito, the NFL’s senior director of global game presentation, music and entertainment, said the London fixtures are the foundation of everything the league has built internationally, and that the halftime slot has grown into one of the defining moments of those games. He pointed to London’s standing as a music city and to the central place African music has held in that conversation for years, describing Starr as a generational talent with a genuine connection to fans in the market.
A Starrgirl Victory Lap
The announcement lands weeks after Starr released Starrgirl, her third studio album, on August 14 through Mavin Records and Republic Records. The project features collaborations with ZAYN, Leon Thomas and Wizkid, and arrived to strong reviews and an unusually loud rollout, from a viral purple gele trend to a gift package from Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty.
Since debuting in 2021, Starr has passed seven billion global streams and a billion YouTube views. She is a two-time Grammy nominee in the Best African Music Performance category and a BET Award winner for Best International Act, with festival appearances including Glastonbury already behind her.
Part Of The NFL’s Biggest International Season
The London performance is one of a record seven halftime shows presented by American Express across the 2026 NFL International Games, spanning seven countries and four continents as the league plays its most games outside the United States in a single season. The Jonas Brothers are booked for the Melbourne game on September 10 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, while Ricky Martin and Pedro Sampaio take the Rio game on September 27 at Maracana Stadium.
For Nigerian music, the slot continues a run of major international stages, following Tems’ FIFA halftime appearance. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will host two regular-season games this year, with the Indianapolis Colts facing the Washington Commanders at the same venue the week before Starr performs.
