Jay-Z Named Super Bowl LXI Halftime Performer, a First for the Rap Icon

Jay-Z has been announced as the headliner for the Super Bowl LXI halftime show, marking his first time performing on the game's halftime stage. He revealed the news using a snippet from one of his most iconic songs, "Public Service Announcement."

Roc Nation, the company Jay-Z co-founded, partnered with the NFL in 2019 to produce the halftime show. The rapper has a major influence in choosing the performer, and this year he selected himself.

The 89-time Grammy nominee has not yet named any special guests. Speculation has already centered on a few possibilities, including superstar singer Beyoncé and previous halftime performers Rihanna and Eminem.

The Super Bowl, which concludes the 2026 season, is set for February 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

The halftime show has featured some of the biggest artists of all time across the Super Bowl's 60-year history. Last year, Bad Bunny headlined, and Lady Gaga joined him on stage to perform her hit "Die With A Smile." It was her third Super Bowl appearance and her first as a halftime show guest. Other past headliners include Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, Usher and Beyoncé.

Today, performers at the halftime show reach an audience far larger than any they have faced before. That was not always the case. Many of the early shows are largely forgotten, including a 1988 production built around the Rockettes, Chubby Checker and 88 grand pianos, and the 1989 show "Be Bop Bamboozled" at the Orange Bowl. Carol Channing performed twice, and Up With People appeared four times in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Before Michael Jackson, the halftime show leaned heavily on college marching bands and themed tributes. Those included salutes to Hollywood (twice), Motown, the Big Band Era, the Caribbean and Duke Ellington. New Kids on the Block performed in 1991 without singing many of their biggest hits, and in 1992 Gloria Estefan provided the soundtrack for a winter-themed show with Olympic figure skaters Dorothy Hamill and Brian Boitano.

That changed when Michael Jackson played the Rose Bowl in 1993, and the halftime show was never the same afterward. Since then the lineup has included Diana Ross, U2, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Prince, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Madonna, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, The Weeknd, Rihanna and Kendrick Lamar with special guest SZA.

Recent years have also brought group showcases. The 2022 show featured Eminem, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige, while the 2024 show included Alicia Keys, Jermaine Dupri, H.E.R., will.i.am, Lil Jon and Ludacris. Bad Bunny's 2026 show also featured Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin.