Davido, Rema Among African Artistes Who Headlined Big Sports Events Ahead of Burna Boy’s UCL Show

Nigerian music sensation, Burna Boy will co-headline the 2023 UEFA Champions League Final Kick-Off Show by Pepsi, at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Turkey on Saturday, June 10.

The Champions League is the biggest club tournament on the globe, with the final attracting an average of 400 million viewers.

With Burna Boy certain to do Africa proud on the big stage, Sports Brief looks at some other top artistes from the continent who have headlined big sporting events.

African artists headlining major events

1. NBA All-Star halftime show - Burna Boy, Tems, Rema

Back in February, Nigerian superstars Tems, Burna Boy, and Rema delivered a first-of-its-kind Afrobeats-themed performance at the NBA halftime show held at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The special 15-minute performance came during the break as Team LeBron and Team Giannis made their way into the locker room to strategise and rest, while the musical stars thrilled the fans.

2. Gamers8 - Wizkid

Wizkid became the first African musician to headline Gamers8 Esports in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 'The Land of Heroes' is the biggest gaming festival in the world and 'Bigwiz' delivered an incredible performance last August.

The event featured top teams and players in the world of competitive gaming, including Rocket League, Defense of the Ancients 2, Fortnite, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, and PlayerUnknown's Battleground Mobile.

3. 2022 FIFA World Cup - Davido

Davido featured in the Qatar 2022 World Cup official theme song titled Hayya Hayya (Better Together). FIFA stated the idea was to 'connect with audiences worldwide through the shared passions of football and music'.

On December 18, 2022, during the closing ceremony of the World Cup tournament, the Nigerian singer performed the track alongside Aisha at the Lusail Iconic Stadium, just north of Doha.

4. Qatar 2022 FIFA Fan Festival - Kizz Daniel

Nigerian music sensation, Kizz Daniel delivered an electric performance at the FIFA Fan Festival during the World Cup in Qatar. While on stage, the atmosphere was charged with some of his hit tracks, including One Ticket.

His performance of his viral song Cough (Odo), which had the audience singing along, was choreographed to feature four energetic women performing the song's signature dance moves.

5. 2010 FIFA World Cup - Angelique Kidjo, Hugh Masekela, Amadou, Mariam

Benin's Angelique Kidjo, Mali's Amadou, and Mariam were part of the team of superstars who performed during the opening ceremony of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

It was a magical three-hour kick-off concert beamed to a global audience from Soweto's Orlando Stadium, with 30,000 fans paying between R450 and R1,400 (£40-£125) just to be there.

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Football

Burna Boy arrives Istanbul

Sports Brief earlier reported on Burna Boy landing in Istanbul, the capital of Turkey, ahead of his performance at the UEFA Champions League final.

The Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum-selling singer, songwriter, and producer will co-headline the 2023 UCL Final Kick-Off Show by Pepsi.

Burna Boy will perform to more than 75,000 fans, who will be there to watch the epic cracker between Manchester City and Inter Milan on June 10.