Jay-Z has chosen himself to headline the coveted Super Bowl halftime show, and U2 and Miranda Lambert are lined-up for the Thanksgiving halftime shows.
The iconic show is set to take place on Sunday February 14, 2027 at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. While only time will tell which two teams will be going head to head for the trophy, it has been announced today (Tuesday October 27) that the halftime show will be headlined by Jay-Z.
The announcement was confirmed by Apple Music, the NFL, and the rapper’s own company Roc Nation, and will see the Grammy winning rapper become the latest to bring his own show to the huge sporting event. Earlier this year it was Bad Bunny who headlined, and despite some backlash – including a MAGA-organised alternative performance – the set became the most Emmy-awarded and most watched halftime show of all time.
Before then, Kendrick Lamar had the most watched Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2025, garnering four Emmy nominations, Usher also earned three Emmy nominations for his 2024 set, and Rihanna scored five Emmy nominations for her 2023 appearance.
For Jay-Z, the set comes as he is currently on the road celebrating 30 years of making music – hitting the road and playing his seminal debut album ‘Reasonable Doubt’ in full alongside guest stars including Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Usher, Eminem, Nas, Pharrell Williams, Rihanna, and many more.
“From ‘Reasonable Doubt’ to standing on the Super Bowl Halftime stage, this has been a journey,” Jay-Z said. “Thirty years of music, work, and culture on the world’s biggest stage. This run continues to be a dream come true.”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke about the ongoing partnership between them and Roc Nation too, sharing: “For several years, we’ve had the privilege of working closely with Jay-Z and Roc Nation, and I’ve seen the extraordinary impact he has had on the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
“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. 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.”
The performance will air on ESPN, ABC and Disney+, and on mobile devices with NFL+ next February.
Also announced today are the two artists set to perform as part of the Thanksgiving halftime shows next month.
For the Thanksgiving Thursday game, which sees the Dallas Cowboys go head to head against the Philadelphia Eagles at the AT&T Stadium in Texas on Thursday November 26, Miranda Lambert will perform at the Salvation Army Red Kettle Kickoff halftime show alongside the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.
She joins an impressive list of past Thanksgiving performers, which has included Post Malone, Dolly Parton, Luke Combs and Lainey Wilson in the past five years alone.
This year will also see the first ever Thanksgiving Eve halftime show, which will be headlined by U2.
The performance will take place during the Green Bay Packers vs Los Angeles Rams game at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Wednesday November 25, and comes as Bono and co. are currently celebrating 50 years since they formed. They previously played the Super Bowl halftime show in 2002.
U2’s show will be aired live on Netflix from 8pm ET, 5pm PT.
“There’s a reason U2 has headlined stadiums for decades: they don’t just perform, they deliver iconic moments audiences remember forever,” said Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix. “We’re thrilled that they’ll bring that same magic to the NFL stage on Netflix. It’s going to be an unforgettable night for football fans and Netflix members worldwide.”
U2’s performance comes following them dropping their 16th studio album, ‘Carnaval De Luz’, which is released on November 13, and ahead of their 2027 world stadium tour, set to take place in Mexico City, São Paulo and Buenos Aires in February and March.
Jay-Z and Roc Nation partnered with the NFL back in 2019 as part of a Music and Social Justice Deal, and in 2024 he shared that he was open to headlining the huge event himself. Since he stepped into the role, the rapper has been an integral part in making the huge, star-studded live performances. Not everyone is a fan though, and earlier this year Kid Rock claimed that he was a a diversity hire and hired because “Black guys love Jay-Z”.
The post Jay-Z chooses himself to headline Super Bowl halftime show with U2 playing Thanksgiving Eve game appeared first on NME.