Jay-Z Will Headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show

By Elena Vasquez

Jay-Z will perform at the Apple Music Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show on Feb. 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The announcement names the rapper as the headline performer for a show his own company, Roc Nation, will executive produce.

"From Reasonable Doubt to standing on the Super Bowl Halftime stage, this has been a journey," Jay-Z said in a statement. "Thirty years of music, work, and culture on the world's biggest stage. This run continues to be a dream come true."

The booking closes a loop the NFL set in motion years ago. Roc Nation has produced the halftime show under an agreement with the league, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said he had one condition from the start.

"When we first reached an agreement with Roc Nation to produce the show, I had just one request: that Jay-Z take the stage himself one day, whenever the moment felt right to him," Goodell said in a statement. "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."

Apple, the show's sponsor since it replaced Pepsi as title partner, matched the enthusiasm. "Jay-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."

Hamish Hamilton, the longtime director of the halftime spectacle, will direct. The takeaway: the man who has shaped the show's recent era will now anchor it himself.

What led to the booking?

The announcement caps a yearlong anniversary campaign run under the banner "Jay-Z 30." He opened the celebrations as a headliner at the Roots Picnic in late May, then played three sold-out shows at Yankee Stadium in July. Those concerts honored dual milestones: the 25th anniversary of "The Blueprint" and the 30th anniversary of "Reasonable Doubt," his 1996 debut.

The victory lap extended internationally with shows in Paris and London. He also recorded the eight-part docuseries "Jay-Z in 8" with producer Rick Rubin, breaking down hits and deep cuts across his catalog. This past weekend, he closed the global run at SoFi Stadium — the same venue that will host the halftime show — with two nights featuring guest appearances from Scarface, DJ Khaled, John Legend, Blue Ivy Carter, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Too Short.

The booking follows a stretch of halftime performers selected or championed during the Roc Nation production era: Rihanna, the Weeknd, Usher, Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny, plus the 2022 collective set from Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Lamar, 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak.

How big is the halftime audience?

The numbers frame the stakes. Bad Bunny's 2026 performance, dubbed the "Benito Bowl" by fans, averaged 128.2 million viewers — above the 124.9 million average for the Super Bowl itself but below the 133.5 million Kendrick Lamar drew in 2025. Before Lamar, Usher held the record with his 2024 show.

Bad Bunny's set celebrated his Puerto Rican heritage with an elaborate production: a mock sugar-cane field and a Puerto Rican vecindad containing a barber shop, liquor store and a casita. Celebrity guests included Jessica Alba, Karol G, Cardi B, Young Miko and Pedro Pascal, with surprise appearances by Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin.

Last month, that performance won Bad Bunny his first Emmy, in the outstanding special (live) category. The broadcast took seven Emmys in total, spanning musical direction, choreography, sound mixing, lighting design, technical direction/camerawork and directing.

Creative director Harriet Cuddeford previously told Variety: "The performance is celebrating normal people, and what it is to be human and love and have joy, and really appreciate one another. This was to show how much he values his community, to celebrate normal people on the world's biggest stage, especially people who are of importance in Latino culture."

Where can viewers watch?

The Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show will air on ESPN, ABC and Disney+, and on mobile devices through NFL+. Spanish-language coverage will run on ESPN Deportes and Disney+, with a separate Spanish-language presentation on Univision.

With Roc Nation executive producing, Hamilton directing and a 30-year catalog to draw from, Jay-Z inherits an audience that has topped 128 million viewers in each of the past two years — and a stage he has built for others since 2019.