Jay-Z will perform at the Apple Music Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show on 14 February 2027 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, Variety reported on 26 October 2026 (US Pacific time). The booking was announced days after the rapper closed a 2026 run of concerts celebrating 30 years in music.
“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.”
Roc Nation will executive produce the show and Hamish Hamilton will direct it.
A request from the NFL commissioner
For NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, the announcement fulfils a long-standing wish. “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,” he said.
Oliver Schusser, Apple’s Vice President of Music and International Content, described Jay-Z’s influence on global music culture as “as profound as it is undeniable” and said Apple had worked closely with him in recent years to bring major artists to the halftime stage.
The show will air on ESPN, ABC and Disney+, and on mobile devices through NFL+. ESPN’s Spanish-language telecast will also be available on ESPN Deportes and Disney+, while Univision will carry a separate Spanish-language presentation.
The “Jay-Z 30” year
| Date / period | Milestone |
|---|---|
| Late May 2026 | Headlined the Roots Picnic, opening the anniversary celebrations |
| July 2026 | Three sold-out Yankee Stadium shows for the 25th anniversary of The Blueprint and the 30th of Reasonable Doubt |
| During 2026 | Shows in Paris and London; the eight-part docuseries “Jay-Z in 8” with Rick Rubin |
| Late October 2026 | Two closing nights at SoFi Stadium with Scarface, DJ Khaled, John Legend, Blue Ivy Carter, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Too Short |
| 14 February 2027 | Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show at SoFi Stadium |
The audience he inherits
Jay-Z follows Bad Bunny, whose 2026 show celebrated his Puerto Rican heritage. Nicknamed the Benito Bowl by fans, it averaged 128.2 million viewers, more than the 124.9 million who watched the game itself on average.
| Year | Halftime performer | Note (Variety) |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Usher | Held the viewing record before Kendrick Lamar |
| 2025 | Kendrick Lamar | 133.5 million average viewers |
| 2026 | Bad Bunny | 128.2 million average viewers |
In September 2026 the Bad Bunny show won seven Emmys, including his first, for outstanding special (live), plus musical direction, choreography, sound mixing, lighting design, technical direction/camerawork and directing. Other recent headliners include Rihanna, The Weeknd and the collective performance by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Lamar, 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak.
What comes next
Super Bowl LXI takes place on 14 February 2027 (US time) at SoFi Stadium, the same venue where Jay-Z ended his tour. The announcement, as reported by Variety, did not name any guest performers or a set list.