Jay-Z will headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on 14 February 2027, after selecting himself for the event through his role with Roc Nation.
The announcement was made during half-time of the Dallas Cowboys’ game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football. Roc Nation has advised the NFL on its half-time performers since 2019 and will executive produce the show.
The 56-year-old rapper reflected on the three decades since the release of his debut album, saying: “This has been a journey.” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said his only request when the league first partnered with Roc Nation was that Jay-Z would perform one day, “whenever the moment felt right to him”.
The decision creates an unusual arrangement in which the artist involved in choosing the league’s recent headliners has awarded the slot to himself. It also marks a significant change in Jay-Z’s relationship with the NFL, having previously rejected the prospect of appearing at the Super Bowl.
Jay-Z’s Super Bowl performance follows anniversary year
The performance will come after a major year for the rapper, marking 30 years since his 1996 debut, Reasonable Doubt, and 25 years since The Blueprint.
His JAŸ-Z30 stadium run began with three sold-out shows at Yankee Stadium in July. Those concerts generated about 42.3 million dollars from roughly 137,000 tickets, described as the biggest recorded box-office return for a rapper.
The tour later travelled to London and Paris before ending at SoFi Stadium on 23 and 24 October. Guests during the shows included Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, John Legend and Jay-Z’s daughter Blue Ivy, who played piano. Beyoncé, Rihanna, Eminem and Nas also joined him at earlier performances.
The stadium run coincided with JAŸ-Z in 8, an eight-part HBO documentary series directed by Rick Rubin, which premiered on 18 September and concluded on 9 October.
Roc Nation’s partnership with the NFL began in August 2019, when it became the league’s live music entertainment strategist. The deal also linked the company to Inspire Change, the NFL’s social justice initiative, and was reported at the time to be worth 25 million dollars over five years. The partnership was renewed in October 2024, although its value and length were not disclosed.
Jay-Z had been a prominent supporter of Colin Kaepernick after the former NFL quarterback went unsigned following his protests during the national anthem against police brutality. In 2017, Jay-Z wore Kaepernick’s jersey on Saturday Night Live and dedicated “The Story of O.J.” to him during a concert.
He reportedly turned down the Super Bowl LII half-time show in 2018. The following year, he and Beyoncé referenced rejecting the event on their joint album, before his position changed with the Roc Nation deal.
The rapper has since faced renewed criticism over his relationship with Kaepernick. In his memoir The Perilous Fight, Kaepernick described their falling-out and later said Jay-Z had a “guilty conscience” in an interview with NBC News. Jay-Z had referenced Kaepernick in a freestyle at Yankee Stadium in July.
Roc Nation has overseen a succession of high-profile half-time shows, including performances by Shakira and Jennifer Lopez, The Weeknd, Dr Dre and Rihanna. Kendrick Lamar’s 2025 show became the most-watched half-time performance, with 133.5 million viewers, while Usher’s 2024 show drew 129.3 million.
The Super Bowl LXI broadcast will air on ESPN and ABC and stream on Disney+. It will be ESPN’s first live Super Bowl, while Hamish Hamilton, who directed Beyoncé’s 2013 half-time performance, will direct the show.
The announcement prompted a divided online response, with critics questioning how Jay-Z could choose himself and whether his three-decade catalogue would appeal to younger viewers. Supporters pointed to his 25 Grammy Awards, extensive list of hits and the possibility of appearances by artists including Beyoncé, Rihanna and Alicia Keys, although no guests have been confirmed.
