The National Football League (www.NFL.com) announced today that global Afrobeats superstar Ayra Starr will headline the halftime show during the 2026 NFL London Game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, Oct. 11 at 2:30 p.m. BST (9:30 a.m. ET) at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The London performance will be part of a record seven halftime shows presented by American Express staged across the 2026 NFL International Games – a lineup of live musical performances spanning seven countries and four continents – as the league plays its most international games ever in a single season.
One of the defining voices of a new generation of global pop music coming out of Africa, Ayra Starr has amassed more than seven billion global streams and one billion YouTube views since her debut in 2021. The Beninese-Nigerian singer and songwriter is a two-time GRAMMY® nominee for Best African Music Performance, a BET Award winner for Best International Act and a Pyramid Stage performer at Glastonbury Festival. Most recently, Ayra released her third studio album, Starrgirl, on Aug. 14 to rave reviews, boasting star-studded collaborations including ZAYN, Leon Thomas, Wizkid. Listen to the album HERE (https://apo-opa.co/4y3NdQv)- out now via Mavin Records/Republic Records.
“I am so excited to perform at the NFL halftime show in London,” said Ayra Starr. “London is one of my favorite places in the world and to bring Starrgirl to the NFL global stage is a dream come true for me. I can’t wait to see you guys there!”
“The NFL London games are the foundation of everything we have built internationally, and the halftime show has become one of the biggest moments which makes these events so special,” said Tim Tubito, senior director of global game presentation, music and entertainment at the NFL. “London is one of the most influential music cities in the world, and African music has been at the center of that conversation for years now. Ayra Starr is a generational talent with a real connection to fans in this market, and building on the halftime shows we have staged in London in recent seasons, she is the right artist to carry that momentum forward. We look forward to collaborating with her on a performance that captures the energy that matches the moment.”
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will host two regular-season games on consecutive Sundays in October. Alternative entertainment will feature at halftime for the first game of the series on Sunday, Oct. 4, when the Indianapolis Colts and the Washington Commanders, with further details to be announced.
Ayra Starr’s full halftime performance will be broadcast live in the UK free to air on 5 and on Sky Sports.
The league is committed to growing the game at every level across the country, engaging with fans year-round through partners, programs and initiatives. Further information around the entertainment and fan events surrounding the 2026 NFL London games will follow soon.
The announcement follows the previously confirmed performances of the Jonas Brothers (https://apo-opa.co/4d6mgUa) at the 2026 NFL Melbourne Game on Thursday, Sept. 10 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Ricky Martin and Pedro (https://apo-opa.co/3STBSUh) Sampaio (https://apo-opa.co/3STBSUh) at the 2026 NFL Rio Game on Sunday, Sept. 27 at Maracanã Stadium.
Ticket information for the 2026 NFL London Games is available at nfl.com/london (https://apo-opa.co/4xzJWZe). (https://apo-opa.co/4xzJWZe)
To stay up to date on all things NFL UK&Ireland and for more on the 2026 NFL London Games, follow @NFLUK on Instagram (https://apo-opa.co/45NAPbt), (https://apo-opa.co/45NAPbt) X (https://apo-opa.co/4cGwL0k) and TikTok (https://apo-opa.co/4y8FdxR). (https://apo-opa.co/4y8FdxR)
Sixty-two regular-season NFL games have been played outside the United States with London, Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Madrid, Dublin, São Paulo, Mexico City and Toronto having hosted games to date.
2026 NFL International Games (* designates a new market/city for 2026):
● London, U.K. (Two games in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, one in Wembley Stadium)
● Madrid, Spain (Bernabéu Stadium)
● Melbourne, Australia* (Melbourne Cricket Ground)
● Mexico City, Mexico (Estadio Banorte)
● Munich, Germany (FC Bayern Munich Arena)
● Paris, France* (Stade de France Stadium)
● Rio de Janeiro, Brazil* (Maracanã Stadium)
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of National Football League (NFL).
NFL Media Contacts:
Tom Gray
Tom.Gray@nfl.com
Ayra Starr Media Contact:
Kate Rothschild
kate@rocnation.com
ABOUT AYRA STARR:
2X GRAMMY®-nominated global Afrobeats superstar Ayra Starr has quickly become one of this generation’s most undeniable new voices in music. Renowned for her anthemic Afrobeats tracks and unapologetic style, the Beninese-Nigerian artist has amassed critical acclaim from tastemaker press, a massive international following, over 7 billion global streams, and 1 billion YouTube views.
Following the release of her defining debut album 19&Dangerous, her position as Africa’s hottest rising star has seen Ayra Starr tapped for collaborations with some of music’s biggest names, including Wizkid, Stormzy, Rema, Coldplay, and co-signs from the likes of Rihanna.
The rising star gained major traction over the last few years but vaulted to the forefront of Afrobeats with 2022’s “Rush,” which gathered nearly 1 billion global streams and attracted R&B icon Kelly Rowland on a high-powered remix. Ayra notably picked up nominations at the Billboard Music Awards, BET Awards, MTV VMAs, and Soul Train Awards.
She made history at the MOBO Awards as the first African woman to win Best International Act and the first woman in 16 years to win Best African Music Act. She earned her first GRAMMY® nomination for Best African Music Performance for “Rush,” cementing her as the first and youngest Nigerian female artist ever nominated in that category in 2024. Her momentum continued the next year with another
GRAMMY® nomination for Best African Music Performance for her electrifying collaboration with Wizkid on “Gimme Dat.”
Ayra continued to make waves with smash hits “Hot Body,” “Who’s Dat Girl,” and “Where Do We Go” which she performed on The Jennifer Hudson show earlier this year.
Now entering a bold new era, Ayra Starr released her highly anticipated new album Starrgirl this summer, featuring the new single “Where Do We Go,” released earlier this year which has already amassed over 10 million streams.
A genre-breaking, generation-defining talent, Ayra Starr continues to bring Afrobeats to the forefront here in the U.S. and across the world redefining what it means to be a global superstar.
