Jay-Z picks himself: rap mogul will headline the Super Bowl LXI halftime show at SoFi Stadium

For years, Jay-Z has helped decide who gets the biggest stage in music. This time, he picked himself.

The NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation announced on Monday night, Oct. 26, that Jay-Z will headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The news was revealed during the Dallas Cowboys-Philadelphia Eagles Monday Night Football game on ESPN, the network that will carry the Super Bowl, according to NFL.com.

What Jay-Z said

“From Reasonable Doubt to standing on the Super Bowl Halftime stage, this has been a journey,” Jay-Z said in the announcement. “Thirty years of music, work, and culture on the world’s biggest stage. This run continues to be a dream come true.”

The reveal came in a social media video set to his song “Public Service Announcement,” showing Jay-Z sitting on a stage, CBS Sports reported.

Goodell’s “one request”

The booking has a back story. Roc Nation, the entertainment company Jay-Z founded, partnered with the NFL in 2019 to produce the halftime show and has been a key decision-maker on who performs ever since, CBS Sports noted.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in the official release that when the league first reached its agreement with Roc Nation, “I had just one request: that JAŸ-Z take the stage himself one day, whenever the moment felt right to him.”

“I couldn’t be more excited for fans around the world to experience the artistry, creativity and cultural impact he will bring to the Super Bowl stage,” Goodell said.

Apple’s Oliver Schusser, vice president of music and international content, said the company was “so thrilled that he will be taking that stage himself this year.”

According to CBS Sports, it will be the first time Jay-Z has performed during a Super Bowl halftime show in any capacity.

Super Bowl 2027 at a glance

SoFi Stadium is home to the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers. It will be the second Super Bowl held there, after Super Bowl LVI in 2022, ABC News noted. That year’s halftime show, with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak, won the Emmy for outstanding variety special (live).

Why the timing fits

The announcement lands during what the NFL called “the year of JAŸ-Z 30,” a celebration of the 30th anniversary of his 1996 debut album, Reasonable Doubt. The league’s release said the run included three sold-out concerts at Yankee Stadium, plus sold-out shows in London, Paris and Los Angeles. NFL.com noted that his JAY-Z30 concerts at SoFi Stadium took place on Oct. 23-24, just days before the halftime news.

The release also listed his credentials: the first hip-hop artist inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, a 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, a four-time Emmy winner and a 25-time Grammy winner.

Will Beyoncé join him?

No guests have been announced. CBS Sports pointed out that surprise appearances are common at halftime and floated Beyoncé, Jay-Z’s wife, as a natural fit. She headlined the 2013 halftime show and performed with Coldplay and Bruno Mars in 2016. That remains speculation for now.

Recent halftime headliners

• 2022 (Super Bowl LVI): Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar
• 2023 (LVII): Rihanna
• 2024 (LVIII): Usher
• 2025 (LIX): Kendrick Lamar, the most-watched halftime show, per the NFL
• 2026 (LX): Bad Bunny, which the NFL said became the most Emmy-awarded halftime show ever with seven wins
• 2027 (LXI): Jay-Z

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