Nigerian singer Ayra Starr will headline the halftime show at the NFL’s international match between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, October 11, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The game kicks off at 2:30 p.m. BST.
The performance makes Starr the first Afrobeats artist to headline an NFL International Game halftime show. It is one of seven halftime shows the league has scheduled for this season’s international games, presented by American Express.
Starr confirmed the news on social media, saying, “I am so excited to perform at the NFL halftime show in London.” She added that the city holds a special place for her and called the opportunity “a dream come true.”
Tim Tubito, the NFL’s senior director of global game presentation, music and entertainment, said the choice reflected Starr’s standing with London audiences and the wider reach of African music in the city. He described her as a generational talent with a genuine connection to fans in the market.
The announcement arrives during a strong run for the 24-year-old singer. Her third studio album, Starrgirl, has reached No. 4 on Billboard’s World Albums chart. The album includes “Heaven Baby,” a collaboration with former One Direction member Zayn Malik.
Starr called working with Malik one of the most surreal moments of her career. She said she used to write One Direction lyrics in her notebooks as a schoolgirl, and that meeting Malik in person during the video shoot for “Heaven Baby” left her both shocked and unable to forget the experience.
News of the NFL booking spread quickly among social media users on August 28, with reactions largely celebratory. A user posting as @koachernest wrote that Starr had “worked her way all the way up.” Another, @Idaneko1, praised the moment as a proud one for Yoruba women succeeding internationally.
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Not all commentary was purely congratulatory. A user posting as @ayumzi compared Starr’s path to Rihanna’s rise under major-label backing and cautioned that international success often comes with tough contract terms and legal risks that require strong representation to navigate.
Starr’s October performance adds to a growing list of Afrobeats artists gaining visibility on major global sports and entertainment platforms.
