NEW YORK (AP) — Usher, Keith Urban and Natasha Bedingfield are kicking off the NFL season with a free concert that's expected to draw thousands to Manhattan's Columbus Circle.

They were scheduled to perform yesterday afternoon. A video about the Super Bowl champion New York Giants will be shown before the NFL Kickoff show.

Traffic at the busy intersection at the foot of Central Park was expected to come to a virtual stop as fans and speakers — including Mayor Michael Bloomberg — turned out for the event.

The NFL was to air portions of the concert live on its network prior to last night's game between the Giants and the Washington Redskins at Giants Stadium.