On Sunday, October 11, Afrobeats had its biggest night yet at an American football game. Nigerian star Ayra Starr took the halftime stage at the 2026 NFL London Game, where the Philadelphia Eagles faced the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
- AYRA STARR
Ayra Starr, born Oyinkansola Aderibigbe in Cotonou, Benin, to Nigerian parents, built an online following with song covers before signing to Don Jazzy’s Mavin Records in 2021. Her debut album, 19 & Dangerous, produced the hits “Bloody Samaritan” and “Rush”, and she has since earned two GRAMMY nominations and a BET Award. She has had a lot of hits like “Heaven Baby” , “Hot Body,” “Give me Dat” and “2 Sugar” with Wizkid and many more.
On October 11, 2026, she headlined the halftime show at the NFL London Game between the Eagles and Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, reportedly becoming the first African artist to headline an NFL International Games halftime show. The show was one of a record seven halftime shows across the NFL’s 2026 International Games, and she used it to promote her third album, Starrgirl, released in August. She opened with “Heaven Baby” and went on to perform “Santa,” “Hot Body,” “Rush” and “Dangerous”, wearing a purple corseted top and black skirt on a midfield stage. The game ended in a last-second 19-17 win for the Jaguars on a 57-yard field goal, but the night was also a milestone for Afrobeats on a global sports stage.
2. THE EVENT
The NFL London Game is part of the league’s International Series, which takes regular-season games to cities outside the United States. This year’s London show was one of a record seven American Express-presented halftime shows across the 2026 NFL International Games, spanning seven countries and four continents. It was the league’s most international season ever. For the NFL, the halftime show is a way to connect with local audiences. Tim Tubito, the league’s senior director of global game presentation, music and entertainment, called London one of the most influential music cities in the world, and said African music has been central to that conversation for years.
3. WHY AYRA STARR
The choice made sense at this point in her career. The Beninese-Nigerian singer-songwriter has more than seven billion global streams and a billion YouTube views since her 2021 debut. She is also a two-time GRAMMY nominee for Best African Music Performance and a BET Award winner for Best International Act. Her third studio album, Starrgirl, came out on August 14, less than two months before the show.
When the booking was announced, she called it a dream to bring Starrgirl to the NFL’s global stage, and said London is one of her favorite places in the world. In an interview before the show, she told Complex UK that fans should expect Ayra Starr being Ayra Starr, rather than anything grandiose.
4. THE PERFORMANCE
She performed on a temporary stage set up at midfield. She wore a purple corseted top with a black skirt, and the outfit drew plenty of attention online. The setlist, as reported after the show: She opened with “Heaven Baby” ( It is her collaboration with former One Direction singer ZAYN and a standout on Starrgirl), “Santa”, “Hot Body” “Rush” (the breakout hit that helped her rise to prominence after her 2021 debut album, 19 & Dangerous), “Dangerous” and “Ms. Paper.”
The game also delivered. The Jaguars beat the Eagles 19–17 when kicker Cam Little hit a 57-yard field goal with one second left. Between that finish and the Afrobeats halftime, London got a memorable afternoon.
In conclusion, reports describe her as the first African artist to headline an NFL International Games halftime show. That is a big step for African music on a major sports stage, and it follows years of Afrobeats growing abroad through artists like Davido, Burna Boy, Tems and Wizkid.
