Clips from the performance spread quickly on social media soon after the show, with fan accounts sharing videos from the set, and for many Nigerian and African fans, seeing one of their own headline an NFL halftime show in London was a proud moment.
The Afrobeats sensation made history during the Philadelphia Eagles’ clash with the Jacksonville Jaguars, delivering a performance she described as an unforgettable experience. The game, played at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, drew a sellout crowd of more than 60,000 fans. For millions watching from Nigeria, it was a moment the country will not forget quickly.
“It was crazy! It was amazing! I feel like that was another person on stage. It was amazing; I’m so grateful. Ate that, yummy!” she said, reacting after the show ended.
The singer opened her set with “Heaven Baby,” her collaboration with former One Direction star Zayn Malik, before treating the audience to other songs, including “Rush” and “Hot Body.” The crowd at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium received the performance warmly.
Ahead of the show, Starr told BBC Newsbeat that the significance of her appearance extended beyond the performance itself, saying it was important for artists to use platforms of this magnitude to represent their cultures and the people who support their music.
“At the end of the day, as artists, we speak for the culture and we speak for the people that listen to us,” she said. “And we have to represent any way that seems fit that they need.”
Ahead of the performance, Starr told BBC Newsbeat her history-making appearance “itself is a message.” Nigerians on social media agreed, with the hashtag tracking her name trending across multiple platforms through Sunday night.
Starr became the first African woman to win Best International Act at the MOBO Awards and the first Nigerian woman to surpass one billion YouTube video views. Sunday’s performance adds a new chapter to that record.
The NFL describes the Nigerian and Beninese singer as one of the defining voices of a new generation of African pop, noting she has accumulated more than seven billion global streams and over one billion YouTube views since her debut in 2021.
Starr acknowledged it is a male-dominated field and said she would like female artists to have more “space in the genre” and be “allowed the same privileges.” That comment resonated with Nigerian women who followed the show online and in viewing parties held across Lagos and Abuja.
The performance formed part of the NFL’s expanded international entertainment program, which features seven halftime shows across its 2026 international games, spanning seven countries and four continents. Nigeria produced the headline act for the London leg.
The NFL is also using its 2026 international schedule to connect live sport with globally recognized performers, with the league announcing Nigerian Grammy winner Burna Boy for its first regular season game in Paris on October 25. Two Nigerian artists. Two continents. One month.
Tim Tubito, senior director of global game presentation, music, and entertainment at the NFL, said the London games are the foundation of everything the league has built internationally, adding that African music has been “at the center of that conversation for years now” and that Ayra Starr is “a generational talent with a real connection to fans in this market.”
The 24-year-old has been making waves in recent years, becoming the first African woman to win best international act at the MOBO Awards, and she acknowledged that becoming one of the dominant faces of the music she grew up listening to, alongside artists such as Wizkid and Burna Boy, is “crazy.” For Nigerians watching from Lagos, Abuja, and beyond, Ayra Starr’s NFL halftime moment confirmed exactly what they already believed about their music and the continent’s place on the world stage.
