Jay-Z Super Bowl halftime show confirmed for 14 February 2027, marking a career milestone as the rapper takes centre stage at SoFi Stadium
American rap star Shawn Carter, professionally known as Jay-Z, will headline the Super Bowl LXI halftime show at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on 14 February 2027, following an announcement by the National Football League (NFL), Roc Nation and Apple Music on Monday, 26 October 2026.
The appointment marks a significant milestone in the rapper’s career, bringing him from behind the scenes of one of America’s biggest sporting spectacles to its main musical stage.
Jay-Z has helped shape the event’s entertainment programme since Roc Nation partnered with the NFL in 2019, but the 2027 performance will be his first appearance as a Super Bowl halftime headliner.
Reflecting on the announcement, Jay-Z described the opportunity as the culmination of three decades of music and cultural influence.
“From Reasonable Doubt to standing on the Super Bowl Halftime stage, this has been a journey. Thirty years of music, work, and culture on the world’s biggest stage.
This run continues to be a dream come true,” he said in a statement released by the organisers.
The announcement carries particular significance in 2026, a year in which the rapper has celebrated the 30th anniversary of his debut album,” Reasonable Doubt” originally released in 1996.
The anniversary celebrations, branded Jay-Z 30, have included major concerts, with performances at Yankee Stadium in New York and SoFi Stadium in California, alongside international dates in London and Paris.
The series has revisited key moments in a career that has helped shape mainstream hip-hop over several decades.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell welcomed the decision, revealing that he had hoped Jay-Z would eventually perform at the event himself.
“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,” Goodell said.
“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.”
Roc Nation, the entertainment company founded by Jay-Z in 2008, has served as the NFL’s strategic entertainment adviser since 2019, helping oversee the selection and production of halftime performances.
The partnership has brought artists including Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, The Weeknd, Rihanna, Usher, Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny to the stage.
The appointment also places Jay-Z in a distinctive position within the event’s organisation. As Roc Nation’s founder and a central figure in the NFL’s entertainment partnership, he has been involved in the process through which performers are selected.
The announcement therefore represents a transition from helping curate the show to becoming its headline act.
The decision follows years of speculation about whether the rapper would eventually perform at the Super Bowl.
In 2019, when Roc Nation entered its partnership with the NFL, Jay-Z had expressed reservations about taking the stage himself, saying at the time that if the agreement was about his own performance, the discussion could end there. His latest announcement signals a change in that position.
Attention will now turn to the production itself, including the possibility of guest appearances and the songs Jay-Z may choose for the occasion.
No additional performers have been confirmed in the announcement, leaving the line-up and creative details to be disclosed at a later date.
Jay-Z’s extensive catalogue includes landmark albums such as Reasonable Doubt, The Blueprint and The Black Album, alongside popular tracks including Empire State of Mind and 99 Problems.
His career has also extended into business, film and philanthropy, establishing a presence well beyond recorded music.
The rapper has won 25 Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.
The 2027 event will be staged at SoFi Stadium, which previously hosted Super Bowl LVI in 2022, featuring a halftime performance led by Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg, with appearances by several other major artists.
The venue is home to the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers and has become a prominent setting for major sporting and entertainment events.
Super Bowl LXI is scheduled for Sunday, 14 February 2027.
The game and halftime performance are due to air on ESPN, ABC and Disney+, with mobile coverage available through NFL. Apple Music will also support promotional programming around the performance.
Roc Nation will executive produce the halftime show, while Hamish Hamilton will serve as director.
For Jay-Z, the performance offers a rare opportunity to revisit a 30-year musical journey on a stage watched by audiences around the world.
For the NFL and Roc Nation, it brings the architect of their entertainment partnership into the spotlight, adding a personal dimension to a collaboration that has helped shape the Super Bowl’s modern musical identity.
The scale of the occasion will ultimately be measured by the performance itself, but the announcement has already established a defining moment in Jay-Z’s career: after years of helping select the stars who perform at the Super Bowl, the rapper will now lead the show himself.
