Burna Boy to headline halftime show at first NFL game in Paris

The NFL’s first regular-season game in France will also feature one of the biggest names in African music, with Burna Boy set to headline the halftime show at Stade de France.

The Grammy Award-winning Nigerian artist will perform when the Pittsburgh Steelers face the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 25. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. local time and 9:30 a.m. ET.

The Paris game is one of the new additions to the NFL’s international schedule in 2026, which includes seven countries across four continents and represents the league’s largest international season to date.

Burna Boy returns to Stade de France

The halftime performance will bring Burna Boy back to a venue where he has already made history.

In April 2025, he became the first African artist to headline Stade de France. He will return approximately 18 months later as part of another first, this time surrounding the NFL’s debut regular-season game in France.

“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,” Burna Boy said. “The NFL is bringing something to France that has never happened here before, and I get to stand in the middle of it representing African music.”

Burna Boy has received 13 Grammy nominations during a career that has helped take Afro-fusion to audiences around the world. He was also the first African artist to perform on the main Grammy Awards telecast.

His full halftime performance will be shown live in France on France Télévisions and beIN Sports.

Steelers and Saints bring NFL to France

The Steelers-Saints matchup will be the first NFL regular-season game staged in France.

The league is organizing the event in partnership with GL events and with support from the French Ministry of Sports, adding Paris to a list of international cities that have hosted regular-season NFL football.

Sixty-two regular-season games have previously been played outside the United States, with Toronto, London, Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Madrid, Dublin, São Paulo and Mexico City among the host cities.

Melbourne, Paris and Rio de Janeiro are new NFL markets in 2026, while the international schedule also includes games in London, Madrid, Mexico City and Munich.

NFL expands international halftime lineup

Burna Boy’s appearance is part of a record seven halftime shows connected to the NFL International Games this season.

The Jonas Brothers were selected for the Melbourne game between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams, while Pedro Sampaio and Ricky Martin will perform in Rio de Janeiro on Sept. 27.

Ayra Starr is scheduled for the London game on Oct. 11, followed by Burna Boy in Paris on Oct. 25. Cage The Elephant will headline in Munich on Nov. 15, and Mexican rock band The Warning will perform at the Mexico City game on Nov. 22.

The combination of an NFL first for France and Burna Boy’s return to Stade de France gives the Paris date a distinct place on that international calendar. The Steelers and Saints will provide the football, while an artist already familiar with the stadium’s stage will take over at halftime.