Nigerian Afrobeats star Ayra Starr is set to take another major step onto the global stage after being announced as the halftime performer for the 2026 NFL London Game.
The award-winning singer will perform at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Sunday, October 11, when the Philadelphia Eagles face the Jacksonville Jaguars. The game is scheduled to kick off at 2:30 p.m. BST.
Ayra Starr’s appearance forms part of the NFL’s expanded international entertainment programme for the 2026 season. The league is staging a record seven halftime shows across its international games, covering seven countries and four continents.
The opportunity marks another major international moment for the “Rush” hitmaker, whose rise has helped push the new generation of African pop music further into the global mainstream.
According to the NFL, Ayra Starr has accumulated more than seven billion global streams and over one billion YouTube views since making her debut in 2021. She has also earned two Grammy nominations for Best African Music Performance, won the BET Award for Best International Act and performed on Glastonbury Festival’s famous Pyramid Stage.
Her NFL performance will also reach audiences beyond the thousands expected inside Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The full halftime performance is scheduled to be broadcast live in the United Kingdom on Channel 5 and Sky Sports.
Ayra Starr joins a growing list of internationally recognised artists booked as part of the NFL’s global expansion. Other performers announced for 2026 international games include the Jonas Brothers in Melbourne and Ricky Martin alongside Pedro Sampaio in Rio de Janeiro.
For Afrobeats, the announcement represents yet another example of how African music continues to secure space on some of the world’s biggest entertainment platforms.
All eyes will now be on October 11 as Ayra Starr brings the sound and energy of Afrobeats to one of the NFL’s biggest international stages.
