Ayra Starr delivered a landmark performance at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium during the NFL London Game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The game kicked off at 2:30 pm British Summer Time (BST), with Starr taking the makeshift midfield stage at halftime.
She became the first African artist to headline a halftime show during the NFL’s International Games series.
The performance formed part of a record seven halftime shows presented by American Express across the 2026 NFL International Games, spanning seven countries and four continents.
Starr performed tracks from her third studio album, Starrgirl, released on 14 August 2026.
The album features collaborations with ZAYN, Leon Thomas and Wizkid.
Speaking ahead of the performance, Starr told the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) that the history-making moment “itself is a message“.
She said it was “very important” for artists to seize such opportunities because “as artists, we speak for the culture and we speak for the people that listen to us“.
A Career of Firsts
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 and a BET Award winner for Best International Act.
tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@nflukire/video/7695432604299922720" data-video-id="7695432604299922720" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;" >@nflukire Our London Games halftime Starr ⭐ @Ayra Starr ⭐️ @NFL @American Express ♬ original sound – NFL UK & Ireland
She was the first African woman to win Best International Act at the Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Awards and the first Nigerian woman to surpass one billion video views on YouTube.
Tim Tubito, the NFL’s senior director of global game presentation, music and entertainment, called Starr “a generational talent with a real connection to fans in this market“.
The Eagles led 14-7 at halftime, but the Jaguars won 19-17 with a last-second field goal.
