Burna Boy is set to bring Afrobeats to one of the biggest stages in American sport after being announced as the headline performer for the halftime show at the 2026 NFL Paris Game.
The Nigerian music star will perform at the Stade de France when the National Football League makes its Paris debut, adding another major international sporting platform to a career that has increasingly taken Afrobeats to audiences around the world.
The announcement further underlines the growing relationship between elite sport and global music, with the NFL using internationally recognised performers to build the spectacle around its expanding overseas schedule.
Speaking to Billboard after the announcement, Burna Boy reflected on his return to the French capital.
“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 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 and I intend to give the people a show they will not forget,” he told Billboard.
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Known for his energetic performances and globally recognised catalogue, Burna Boy is expected to deliver a large-scale production during the halftime interval as the NFL seeks to introduce its brand to a new audience in France.
The choice also places African music at the centre of an event designed to expand the reach of American football beyond the United States. Burna Boy has become one of the leading international figures associated with Afrobeats, making the Paris stage another opportunity for the genre to intersect with a major global sporting audience.
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The 2026 NFL Paris Game will be more than a first for the league in the French capital. With Burna Boy providing the halftime entertainment at Stade de France, the event will also bring together American football, French sport and one of Africa’s most recognizable musical exports on the same stage.
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