Jay-Z, the rapper who has helped produce the Super Bowl halftime show, is stepping into the spotlight and will headline the show himself.
The NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation announced Monday that Jay-Z will be the featured performer for the halftime show on Feb. 14 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.
The 56-year-old rapper, who celebrated the 30th anniversary of his debut album Reasonable Doubt this year, said, “From Reasonable Doubt to standing on the Super Bowl Halftime stage, this has been a journey.”
“Thirty years of music, work, and culture on the world’s biggest stage. This run continues to be a dream come true,” he added in a statement.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said he had one request when the league first reached an agreement with Roc Nation: that Jay-Z take the stage himself “whenever the moment felt right to him.”
“For several years, we’ve had the privilege of working closely with JAŸ-Z and Roc Nation, and I’ve seen the extraordinary impact he has had on the Super Bowl Halftime Show,” Goodell said.
“I couldn’t be more excited for fans around the world to experience the artistry, creativity and cultural impact he will bring to the Super Bowl stage,” he added.
“GOAT’s out of the bag,” Apple Music announced in an Instagram caption.
Roc Nation also shared an Instagram announcement with a photo of Jay-Z, writing, “Super Bowl LXI. Los Angeles. February 14, 2027.”
After days of speculation, Jay-Z is set to return to the stadium where he closed his celebration of the 30th anniversary of Reasonable Doubt, the mogul’s 1996 debut album.
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The concerts included three sold-out shows at Yankee Stadium and sold-out performances in London and Paris ahead of a stop at SoFi Stadium over the weekend.
Jay-Z’s Roc Nation has partnered with the NFL since 2019 to advise on and help produce the league’s entertainment presentations, including the Super Bowl halftime show.
At the time, Jay-Z said he had told Goodell, “If this is about me performing at the Super Bowl, then we can just end this conversation now.”
“JAŸ-Z’s impact on global music culture is as profound as it is undeniable,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s Vice President of Music and International Content.
“We’ve had the privilege of working closely with him these last few years to bring some of the world’s most exciting and prolific artists to the Super Bowl Halftime Show stage and we are so thrilled that he will be taking that stage himself this year. We know it’s going to be an incredible show,” Schusser added.
Roc Nation will executive produce the halftime show, with Hamish Hamilton directing.
Super Bowl LXI will be the second Super Bowl hosted at the SoFi Stadium after Super Bowl LVI in 2022.
During Super Bowl LVI, Dr. Dre was joined by Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem and Kendrick Lamar for the halftime show.
At the time, Dr. Dre issued a statement about the halftime show, produced by Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, saying, “The opportunity to perform at the Super Bowl Halftime Show, and to do it in my own backyard, will be one of the biggest thrills of my career.”
“I’m grateful to Jay-Z, Roc Nation, the NFL, and Pepsi as well as Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar for joining me in what will be an unforgettable cultural moment,” Dr. Dre added.
During last year’s Super Bowl, Latin superstar Bad Bunny took the stage at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. for the halftime show, which averaged 128.2 million viewers from 8:15-8:30 p.m. EST/PST.
That made it the fourth-most watched halftime show behind Kendrick Lamar (133.5 million, 2025), Michael Jackson (133.4 million, 1993) and Usher (129.3 million, 2024).
Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, brought Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin and a whole lot of his native Puerto Rico to his halftime show.
The 32-year-old began the performance in the furrows of faux sugar cane crops, walking past unmistakable Puerto Rican imagery, including farmers in straw hats, men playing dominos and a shaved ice stand, as he performed his 2022 reggaeton hit Tití Me Preguntó. He carried a football and wore an all-white football jersey with the number 64 and his real last name emblazoned on the back.
He also brought out a list of celebrities as he sang Yo Perreo Sola on top of La Casita — a pink and yellow house with a porch, a nod to the homes in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The porch was part of the stage of Bad Bunny’s sold-out 30-day residency in Puerto Rico and he brought it to the Super Bowl to extend his hospitality to stars like Cardi B, Pedro Pascal, Karol G, Jessica Alba, Alix Earle and more.
“God bless America!” he shouted toward the end of his 13-minute halftime show. Then he gave a roll call of the nations of North, South and Central America, including Uruguay, Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, the United States and Canada.
—With files from The Associated Press
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