Jay-Z to headline Super Bowl LXI halftime show at SoFi Stadium

Jay-Z will take the stage at the Apple Music Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2027, according to a joint announcement from Apple Music, the NFL and Roc Nation. NPR reported that the three partners shared the news on Monday night.

The pick closes a loop that started years ago. Roc Nation, the company Jay-Z founded, has worked with the NFL since 2019 to advise on and help stage the league's entertainment events, including the halftime show, NPR reported. Now the man behind the company will be the one performing.

Key facts

• Date and place: The show is set for Sunday, Feb. 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium, the NFL said.
• How to watch: ESPN, ABC and Disney+ will carry the show, along with NFL+ on mobile devices, according to the league.
• Spanish coverage: ESPN Deportes will offer a Spanish-language telecast, and Univision will air its own Spanish-language version, the NFL said.
• Production: Roc Nation will serve as executive producer of the telecast, with Hamish Hamilton as director, per the NFL.
• Track record: Jay-Z holds 25 Grammy Awards from 89 nominations, the second-highest nomination total ever after his wife, Beyonce, NPR reported.

Background

Jay-Z, whose given name is Shawn Carter, helped start Roc-A-Fella Records and launched Roc Nation in 2008, NPR reported. The Hollywood Reporter said the Roc Nation partnership with the NFL began in 2019 and was extended in 2024.

For years, Jay-Z kept himself off the bill. In 2019, he said he told Roger Goodell that if the deal hinged on him playing the Super Bowl, the talks could stop there, according to NPR. Goodell, for his part, had a different hope. The NFL commissioner said that when the league first struck its deal with Roc Nation, his only request was that Jay-Z would perform himself someday.

The partnership has a complicated history. The Hollywood Reporter noted that Jay-Z's work with the league followed the NFL's handling of former 49ers player Colin Kaepernick, and that the two men later had a falling-out.

The news did not come out of nowhere. Rolling Stone reported that the official word arrived one week after Puck News said Jay-Z had chosen to take the job himself.

His résumé goes well beyond the charts. NPR reported that in 2017 he became the first rapper named to the Songwriters Hall of Fame, that he entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021, and that he has won four Emmys. His first album, Reasonable Doubt, came out in 1996 and was added to the Grammy Hall of Fame last year, according to NPR.

This year has been a busy one. The NFL said 2026 marked 30 years since Reasonable Doubt, an anniversary he marked with three sold-out nights at Yankee Stadium and sold-out dates in London, Paris and Los Angeles. Variety reported that his "Jay-Z 30" run also featured a top-billed set at the Roots Picnic in late May, and that the July Yankee Stadium shows also honored 25 years of "The Blueprint".

The tour ended at the same stadium that will host the game. Variety reported that he closed out his dates with two nights at SoFi Stadium the weekend before the announcement. Guests at those shows included Blue Ivy, Scarface, John Legend, DJ Khaled, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Too $hort, NPR reported. He also sat for an eight-part docuseries with Rick Rubin, "Jay-Z in 8," that walks through both hits and lesser-known tracks, Variety reported.

Jay-Z called the run "a dream come true."

What it means for you

For fans, the main point is that one of hip-hop's most decorated artists will lead the biggest stage in football. Billboard noted that Jay-Z will be the first rapper to headline the halftime show since Kendrick Lamar did it in 2025.

He joins a long list of big names. Past halftime headliners include Beyonce, Bad Bunny, Kendrick Lamar, Michael Jackson, Rihanna, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Bruce Springsteen and Usher, The Hollywood Reporter reported. The recent shows set a high bar. The NFL said Bad Bunny's Super Bowl LX set won a record seven Emmys, and Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl LIX set drew the biggest halftime audience ever.

The game will be a home event for Los Angeles. Super Bowl LXI will be held at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, where the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers play, The Hollywood Reporter reported.

Viewers outside the U.S. may also have options. ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said ESPN will feature the set in the U.S. and worldwide across ESPN, ABC and Disney+, The Hollywood Reporter reported.

Apple is also backing the pick. Oliver Schusser, Apple's vice president of music and international content, said Jay-Z's mark on music culture around the world is deep and plain to see. Variety reported that Schusser said Apple has worked closely with Jay-Z in recent years to bring artists to the halftime stage.

Practical steps

• Pick a channel: Fans can watch on ESPN, ABC or Disney+, or on a phone or tablet through NFL+, the NFL said.
• Other language options: Spanish-language viewers can turn to ESPN Deportes, Disney+ or Univision, according to the league.
• Follow the buildup: Apple Music has exclusive content and season-long shows made with the NFL, and Apple Music Radio hosts Zane Lowe, Eddie Francis and Brooke Reese talked about the news live after it broke.
• Mark the date: The show happens during Super Bowl LXI on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2027.

What happens next

Beyond producing the telecast, Roc Nation will also act as the strategic entertainment advisor for the live show, the NFL said.

Many details are still open. No guest performers have been announced. The setlist and the length of the set have not been shared. The national anthem and pregame acts have not been named, and the two teams that will play in the game are not yet known.

FAQ

When and where is the halftime show? It is on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, according to the NFL.

How can I watch it? The show airs on ESPN, ABC and Disney+ and on mobile with NFL+, with Spanish-language coverage on ESPN Deportes and Univision, the NFL said.

Who is producing the show? Roc Nation will executive produce the telecast, and Hamish Hamilton will direct it.

Will Jay-Z bring guests? No guest performers have been announced so far.