Burna Boy
For the first time ever, fans will have the opportunity of a lifetime to be part of the biggest annual global sporting event for themselves. The global chart-topping ‘Last Last’ and ‘It’s Plenty’ megastar will bring his signature soulful vibes of afrobeats to Istanbul’s Atatürk Olympic Stadium as millions of fans from across the globe tune in to watch the must-see performance only moments before the biggest game in club football gets underway.
Burna Boy, fresh from a record-breaking year and the release of his sixth studio album, Love, Damini, will take to the Pepsi MAX stage alongside another soon-to-be-announced global sensation. Revealed on TikTok, Burna Boy has teamed up with Pepsi MAX ambassadors and football royalty; world champion Leo Messi, reigning UCL champion Vini Jr and Euro-winning Lionesses star Leah Williamson; to encourage fans to showcase their best dance moves or ball skills by posting them to TikTok using the hashtag #PepsiKickOffShow.
The best submissions will be hand-picked to show off their skills as part of the 2023 UEFA Champions League Final Kick Off Show by Pepsi performance.
Burna Boy commented: “As a huge football fan myself, I know it doesn’t get any bigger than the UEFA Champions League! That’s why I’m so excited to be performing on the Pepsi MAX stage at this year’s final. Music and football are the ultimate combination, so you already know I’ll be bringing the vibes and making magic in Istanbul. The world ain’t ready for what we have in store!”
Gustavo Reyna, Pepsi MAX’s Senior Director of Global Marketing, added: “The UEFA Champions League Final is the stand-out date of the club football calendar, and Pepsi MAX prides itself on marking the occasion with the very best entertainment spectacles. The newly named ‘Kick Off Show by Pepsi’ is going to be huge this year; we’re so excited to welcome Burna Boy, one of the world’s most exciting artists, to the Pepsi x UEFA Champions League stage and we can’t wait to see which fans are selected to feature as part of this truly unmissable performance. Stay tuned to find out who is co-headlining alongside Burna Boy in the weeks to come! ”
“The UEFA Champions League Final Kick Off Show is a significant part of our joint efforts with Pepsi MAX, providing an incredible opportunity to reach new and younger audiences with some of the biggest names and rising stars in music. We’re excited to showcase a line-up of talented artists at this season’s Final in Istanbul in what is sure to be an energetic and memorable performance,” said UEFA marketing director Guy-Laurent Epstein.
Now in its seventh year, the UEFA Champions League Final Kick Off Show by Pepsi – formerly known as the UEFA Champions League Opening Ceremony – will air in over 200 countries and territories globally, just minutes before the stand-out fixture of the club football season commences. By uniting the worlds of football and music through one unmissable entertainment moment that stops fans in their tracks and leaves them wanting more, the event is the perfect demonstration of Pepsi MAX’s ‘Thirsty For More’ platform.
The Kick-Off Show is just one of the many exciting moments that Pepsi MAX and UEFA will bring football fans this season, including the announcement of another global superstar co-headliner to join the Kick Off Show, Tik Tok videos, fashion collaborations, product innovations and more!
Fans will be able to tune in to watch the performance via their local broadcaster and through the official UEFA YouTube and TikTok channels, while the @PepsiGlobal TikTok channel has all the information around how fans can win the chance of being part of the 2023 UEFA Champions League Kick Off Show by Pepsi. With many more exciting updates and activities on the horizon, fans can stay tuned for more information by following Pepsi on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Who is Burna Boy?
Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu MFR (born 2 July 1991), known professionally as Burna Boy, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer
He rose to stardom in 2012 after releasing “Like to Party”, the lead single from his debut studio album L.I.F.E (2013).
In 2017, Burna Boy signed with Bad Habit/Atlantic Records in the United States and Warner Music Group internationally.
His third studio album Outside (2018) marked his major-label debut.
In 2019, he won Best International Act at the 2019 BET Awards, and was announced as Apple Music Up Next artist that year. His fourth studio album, titled African Giant, was released in July 2019. It won Album of the Year at the 2019 All Africa Music Awards and was nominated for Best World Music Album at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards.
He was awarded African Artist of the Year at the 2020 Ghana Music Awards. Burna Boy released his fifth studio album, Twice as Tall, in August 2020. It won Best World Music Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.
He won Best International Act at the 2021 BET Awards. Burna Boy’s sixth studio album, Love, Damini, was released in July 2022 and became the highest debut of an African album on the Billboard 200 chart.
It also became the highest charted African album in the Netherlands, United Kingdom and France.
In October, Burna Boy was awarded the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic plaque for his achievements in music.
In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked him number 197 on its list of the 200 greatest singers of all time.
