Jay-Z will headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show, the National Football League announced on Monday, October 26 — the first time the rapper has ever performed on the Super Bowl stage.
The show will take place at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Sunday, February 14, 2027, as part of Super Bowl LXI. The game will air on ESPN, ABC and Disney+, with mobile streaming available through NFL+.
The announcement was made at the start of halftime during Monday Night Football, as the Philadelphia Eagles played the Dallas Cowboys — the same game covered in Emadan’s report on Jalen Hurts’ injury.
A producer steps onto the stage he built
What makes the booking unusual is Jay-Z’s other role in the show. His entertainment company, Roc Nation, has produced the Super Bowl halftime show for years, after entering into a partnership with the NFL in 2019 to advise on live music entertainment. Since then, Roc Nation has helped select performers and produce shows headlined by artists including Jennifer Lopez and Shakira, Rihanna, Usher and Kendrick Lamar.
Jay-Z himself, however, had never performed at a Super Bowl. He had previously declined an opportunity to perform at the 2017 show, according to reports, when he was approached about singing a song with Rihanna and Kanye West.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement that when the league first struck its deal with Roc Nation, he had only one request: that Jay-Z himself would take the stage one day, when the time was right.
Jay-Z said in a statement quoted by ESPN: “From ‘Reasonable Doubt’ to standing on the Super Bowl halftime stage, this has been a journey.” He described the moment as “thirty years of music, work, and culture on the world’s biggest stage.”
Why now
The announcement caps a busy year for the 56-year-old rapper. He recently wrapped his “Jay-Z 30” concert series with two shows at SoFi Stadium — the same venue that will host the Super Bowl — on October 23 and 24. The series also included three shows in New York in July, two nights in London in September and a show in Paris on September 10, and he recently premiered an HBO documentary series, “Jay-Z in 8,” in New York.
The previous edition of the halftime show was headlined by Bad Bunny, according to reports of the announcement.
What is not yet known
No guest performers and no set list have been announced for the February show. That leaves the biggest questions — who might join Jay-Z on stage, and which songs from a 30-year catalogue make a roughly 13-minute halftime set — unanswered for now.
For a performer who has spent years choosing other artists for this stage, the February performance will be judged against the very standard his own company helped set.
Sources
- USA Today — Jay-Z will headline the Super Bowl halftime show in 2027
- Gulf News — Jay-Z to headline Super Bowl LXI halftime show in 2027: A historic first
- Le Temps — Jay-Z to headline the Super Bowl halftime show
Frequently asked questions
When is Jay-Z’s Super Bowl halftime show? Sunday, February 14, 2027, during Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
Has Jay-Z performed at the Super Bowl before? No. He has produced the halftime show through Roc Nation for years but has never performed in it.
Who announced the booking? The NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation announced it jointly on Monday, October 26, 2026.
