Burna Boy To Headline NFL’s Historic Paris Debut

Nigerian Afrobeats star Burna Boy will headline the halftime show when the New Orleans Saints face the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL’s first regular-season game in France on October 25.

Accords to Punch’s report, the historic fixture will be played at the Stade de France in Paris as part of the NFL’s expanding international programme.

Paris is one of three cities hosting its first regular-season NFL game this season, alongside Melbourne in Australia and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

Burna Boy, whose real name is Damini Ogulu, will return to the Stade de France less than 18 months after making history as the first African artist to headline a solo concert at the venue.

The Grammy Award winner performed before a sold-out crowd of more than 80,000 at the stadium in April 2025.

“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, and I intend to give the people a show they will not forget.”

The Saints-Steelers encounter is one of a record nine international games scheduled by the NFL during the 2026 season as the league continues its push to expand its global audience.

NFL senior director of global game presentation, music and entertainment, Tim Tubito, said Burna Boy was selected because of the significance of the occasion and his connection with Paris.

“The first NFL game in France deserves a halftime moment that matches the occasion, and there is no artist better suited to it than Burna Boy,” Tubito said.

Burna Boy won the Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album for Twice As Tall in 2021, further cementing his standing as one of Africa’s leading global music stars.

The Saints and Steelers will make history as the first NFL teams to play a regular-season game in France, with Burna Boy’s performance adding an African musical dimension to the league’s Paris debut.