Well, it’s official.
Jay-Z will headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show, the rapper and the NFL confirmed Monday, Oct. 26. The game is set for Sunday, Feb. 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, and will air on ESPN and ABC.
In his statement, Jay-Z framed the moment as the long road from his 1996 debut, “Reasonable Doubt,” to the halftime stage. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a separate statement Monday that when the league first struck its deal with Roc Nation, his one request was “that JAŸ-Z take the stage himself one day.”
Wait, didn’t he pick himself?
Puck‘s Dave Brooks reported Tuesday, Oct. 20, citing multiple sources, that Jay-Z had chosen himself for the gig over Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber, who were both considered. TMZ reported Harry Styles was in the running at one point, too. Monday’s announcement confirms what that report said.
Here’s why that’s even possible. In 2019, Jay-Z’s company, Roc Nation, signed on as the NFL’s live music entertainment strategist, which means it co-produces the halftime show and has a major say in who performs. The deal was reportedly worth $5 million a year, and it was extended in 2024. Under Roc Nation, the halftime stage has gone to The Weeknd, the Dr. Dre-led West Coast lineup, Rihanna, Usher, Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny.
So, why now?
Honestly, the timing writes itself. 2026 marks 30 years of “Reasonable Doubt” and 25 years of “The Blueprint,” and Jay-Z has spent the fall celebrating with his JAY-Z30 anniversary shows. That run included three sold-out nights at Yankee Stadium that reportedly grossed more than $42 million (roughly $14 million a night) and a stop at Stade de France in Paris.
He also just played two nights at SoFi Stadium, Oct. 23 and 24, which is the same building he’ll take over in February. Not to mention, the 25-time Grammy winner has never performed at a Super Bowl and hasn’t released an album since 2017’s “4:44.”
And yes, everyone’s asking about Beyoncé
No guests have been announced. But let’s face it, the question was coming either way. Beyoncé headlined the halftime show in 2013 in New Orleans and returned as a guest in 2016. Fans are also floating Roc Nation names like Rihanna, J. Cole, Megan Thee Stallion and Alicia Keys, but that’s speculation for now.
For Philly, by the way, this one feels a little familiar. Jay-Z has been headlining on the Parkway since he launched the Made in America festival in 2012, so we’ve seen what he does with a big stage.
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