Jonas Brothers to headline halftime show for Rams-49ers historic Australia game

The Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers will make NFL history when they meet in Australia to open their seasons next month, and the league is adding one of the biggest names in pop music to the festivities.

The NFL announced Wednesday that the Jonas Brothers will headline the halftime show of the 2026 NFL Melbourne Game between the Rams and 49ers on Friday, Sept. 11, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The game will kick off at 10:35 a.m. local time, which will be Thursday, Sept. 10, at 8:35 p.m. ET and 5:35 p.m. PT in the United States.

The game and the Jonas Brothers' halftime performance will stream live globally on Netflix. The matchup will also be available on local broadcast stations in Los Angeles and San Francisco and on Seven Network in Australia.

The Rams-49ers game will mark the first NFL regular-season game played in Australia and represents another major step in the league's continued international expansion.

“We couldn’t be more excited to perform at halftime during the NFL’s first-ever regular season game in Australia,” the Jonas Brothers said in a statement. “Playing at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground in front of such passionate Australian fans is an incredible honor. We can’t wait to be part of this historic moment and celebrate with everyone in the stadium and watching around the world.”

Nick, Joe and Kevin Jonas have sold more than 20 million albums, earned two Grammy Award nominations and recorded 26 Billboard Hot 100 hits during a career that has spanned more than two decades. The group has also earned three consecutive No. 1 debuts on the Billboard 200 and was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Their performance in Melbourne will kick off a record seven halftime shows presented by American Express across the NFL's 2026 International Games. The league will play games in seven countries across four continents this season, its largest international schedule to date, with additional halftime performers expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

“Bringing the first-ever NFL regular season game to Australia is a landmark moment for the league, and we are committed to creating an entertainment experience that reflects the scale and significance of the occasion,” NFL senior director of global game presentation and entertainment Tim Tubito said in a statement. “The Jonas Brothers are global entertainers whose music connects across generations, making them the ideal artists to help us celebrate this historic game in Melbourne.”

For the Rams, the Melbourne game will provide a unique opening to a season in which the organization has spent much of training camp preparing for the logistical challenges associated with traveling across the Pacific.

The Rams have not yet publicly finalized all of their travel plans for Australia. Following Tuesday's joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys in Woodland Hills, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford said he trusted the organization to determine the best approach after the team's experience playing internationally in London last season.

“I think there's more than one way to do it,” Stafford said Tuesday. “Everybody has their theories on what's best for their team and where they're coming from. I trust our team and those guys to figure all that stuff out. We as players do our best with whatever our situation is to go out there and play as good as we possibly can.”

Rams coach Sean McVay has also kept the team's Australia plans largely under wraps during training camp as he tries to keep his players focused on the preseason and their immediate preparation.

The Melbourne game is part of a significant international push by the NFL this season. The league will also stage three games in London along with games in Madrid, Mexico City, Munich, Paris and Rio de Janeiro. Melbourne, Paris and Rio de Janeiro will all host NFL regular-season games for the first time.

The NFL said 62 regular-season games have previously been played outside the United States, with London, Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Madrid, Dublin, São Paulo, Mexico City and Toronto serving as host cities.

The festivities in Melbourne will extend beyond the Rams-49ers game. The NFL Kickoff Festival will run from Sept. 10-12 at Melbourne Park and will include the official watch party for the season opener between the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots.

Australian artists Sneaky Sound System, Kita Alexander, Peking Duk, Hot Dub Time Machine, Public Figures and Grinspoon are also scheduled to perform during the festival.

The Jonas Brothers, meanwhile, will take center stage at one of the world's most famous sporting venues as the NFL attempts to turn its first regular-season game in Australia into more than simply a football game.

“The Jonas Brothers are global superstars with an incredible ability to bring people together through music, making them the perfect addition to Australia’s first-ever regular season NFL game,” NFL general manager for Australia and New Zealand Charlotte Offord said. “We’re building an unforgettable experience for fans, and having an internationally renowned act like the Jonas Brothers perform at halftime reinforces the scale and significance of this historic event.”