Jay-Z is preparing to take centre stage at one of the biggest events in American sport after being confirmed as the headliner for the 2027 Super Bowl halftime show.
The rapper, whose real name is Shawn Carter, will perform at Super Bowl LXI on February 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
The announcement was confirmed during ESPN’s Monday Night Football broadcast on October 26, with a black-and-white promotional clip showing Jay-Z in the stands and the words: “Goat’s out of the bag.”
The news follows a busy year for the music star, who has been celebrating the anniversaries of two of his most influential albums, Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint, with his Jay-Z 30 Tour.
He has also released an eight-part HBO docuseries, JAY-Z in 8, in which he discusses his life and career with producer Rick Rubin.
Speaking about the upcoming performance in a statement to People, Jay-Z said: “From Reasonable Doubt to standing on the Super Bowl halftime stage, this has been a journey. This run continues to be a dream come true.”
He added that the show would honour “thirty years of music, work, and culture on the world’s biggest stage.”
Jay-Z’s Super Bowl announcement sparks backlash
Despite the excitement surrounding the announcement, the decision to make Jay-Z the headliner has already divided fans.
Some social media users questioned the choice, with one critic writing: “Another poor decision by Jay-Z for the Super Bowl Half Time show.”
Another posted: “Jay Z is performing the Super Bowl halftime???? That’s going to be awful!”
A third called on the NFL to reconsider, writing: “ESPNNFL Get Jay Z out of our Super Bowl entertainment. So awful.”
However, other fans were quick to defend the rapper, pointing to his track record and the potential for a memorable performance.
One supporter predicted that Jay-Z would set a new standard for halftime show viewership, arguing that fans and critics alike would tune in to see what he had planned.
The performance will mark Jay-Z’s first time headlining the Super Bowl halftime show as an artist, although his wife, Beyoncé, has appeared at the event twice. She headlined in 2013 and returned as a guest during Coldplay’s 2016 performance alongside Bruno Mars.
There is also speculation about which artists could join Jay-Z on stage. His recent tour has featured surprise appearances from stars including Rihanna, Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys, Usher, Pharrell Williams, Lauryn Hill and Beyoncé.
How Jay-Z became involved with the NFL
Jay-Z’s involvement with the Super Bowl goes beyond his upcoming performance.
In 2019, his entertainment company, Roc Nation, entered into a partnership with the NFL to advise on live music entertainment and contribute to the league’s social justice initiative, Inspire Change, per Buzzfeed.
The deal came after the NFL faced widespread criticism over its treatment of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem in 2016 to protest racial injustice and police brutality. His actions sparked a national debate, with some players joining the protests and then-President Donald Trump publicly criticising those who took part.
Jay-Z had previously spoken out in support of the players, arguing that their protests were about injustice rather than disrespecting the American flag.
During a concert in Miami in 2017, he said: “When people are kneeling and putting their fists up in the air and doing what they’re doing, it’s not about the flag. It’s about justice. It’s about injustice. And that’s not a black or white thing, it’s a human issue.”
When Roc Nation’s partnership with the NFL was announced, Jay-Z was expected to help shape the halftime show and the league’s wider activism efforts. The agreement was renewed in 2024, with reports putting its value at around $5 million a year.
Since taking on the role, Jay-Z has helped select some of the biggest names in music for the halftime stage.
The line-up has included Jennifer Lopez and Shakira in 2020, The Weeknd in 2021, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg alongside Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar in 2022, Rihanna in 2023, Usher in 2024, Kendrick Lamar in 2025 and Bad Bunny in 2026.
Jay-Z previously turned down the Super Bowl
The rapper has also been open about his past disagreements with the NFL over how halftime performers are chosen.
On the 2018 track Apeshit, recorded with Beyoncé, Jay-Z rapped: “I said no to the Super Bowl, you need me, I don’t need you.”
He later explained that he had turned down an earlier offer to headline the show because organisers wanted him to share the stage with Kanye West and Rihanna.
Jay-Z said his objection was not to performing alongside either artist, but to the NFL making his participation dependent on whom he agreed to bring with him.
“I said, ‘No, you get me.’ That is not how you go about it,” he recalled in an interview with The New York Times, describing his refusal as a matter of principle.
After joining the NFL partnership, he also criticised the previous selection process, which involved approaching several artists as potential headliners.
Jay-Z argued that the approach left performers feeling rejected when someone else was ultimately chosen. He said he wanted the process to be more straightforward, with artists selected directly and given greater control over their performances.
Why Jay-Z won’t get paid for the Super Bowl halftime show
Despite the scale of the event and the millions of people expected to watch, Jay-Z is not expected to receive a performance fee from the NFL.
That is because the league’s longstanding policy is not to pay halftime headliners for their performances. Instead, it covers production expenses and other costs associated with putting on the show, including travel.
An NFL spokesperson previously explained the arrangement to Forbes in simple terms: “We do not pay the artists. We cover expenses and production costs.”
The financial commitment can be substantial. Jennifer Lopez and Shakira’s 2020 halftime show was reported to have cost around $13 million to produce, covering the elaborate staging, technical equipment and staff required for the performance.
So why would an artist of Jay-Z’s stature agree to appear without a conventional fee?
The main attraction is the enormous exposure. The Super Bowl is one of the most-watched television events in the United States, giving performers an opportunity to introduce their music to a huge audience and potentially boost streaming figures, music sales and future ticket demand.
Previous halftime headliners have seen significant increases in music sales and streams after their performances. Rihanna’s appearance in 2023, for example, was followed by a substantial rise in Spotify streams, while other performers have experienced similar surges.
The exposure can also benefit artists’ wider business interests, from promoting new releases to raising the profile of tours and brands.
Jay-Z’s situation is particularly unusual because he is not only the incoming headliner but also the figure whose company helps oversee the NFL’s entertainment strategy.
Although the league is expected to cover the production costs of his performance, Jay-Z is not expected to receive a direct fee for taking the Super Bowl halftime stage.
His potential financial benefit instead comes from the global exposure and the opportunities it could create beyond the show itself.
