For years, Jay-Z has helped decide who performs on the Super Bowl’s biggest stage. Now, the rapper has chosen himself to headline Super Bowl LXI, marking a major change in his role with the NFL’s halftime show.
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According to a new report from Puck, Jay-Z has reportedly chosen himself to headline the Super Bowl LXI halftime show in February 2027. Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber were also reportedly considered for the performance. However, the NFL has yet to announce a headliner, and neither the league nor Roc Nation responded to Puck’s request for comment.
Since 2019, Jay-Z’s company, Roc Nation, has helped the NFL choose performers and put together the halftime show. The deal pays $5 million a year and was renewed in 2024. However, the 56-year-old rapper has never performed as the main act himself. Puck writer Dave Brooks says his turn has felt inevitable for a long time. In 2024, producer Jesse Collins told Variety that Jay-Z makes the final call on who headlines the show.
Super Bowl LXI will take place on February 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, near Los Angeles. Jay-Z was already a favorite on prediction markets, with Kalshi giving him around a 50% chance of headlining in recent weeks. Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber were also in the conversation. Bieber recently performed during the World Cup Final halftime show, while Cyrus released her 10th studio album, Bass Persuades. However, Puck reports that neither artist secured the Super Bowl spot.
Puck points to Jay-Z’s recent live run as proof he is ready. In July, he took in more than $42 million from three sold-out shows at Yankee Stadium in New York. Last month, he took in $12 million from a sold-out crowd in Paris. He also reunited the Fugees, a 1990s hip-hop group, at two sold-out shows in London. Puck says that kind of moment fits a halftime show. Jay-Z is also touring to mark 30 years since his debut album, Reasonable Doubt, and 25 years since The Blueprint. An eight-part HBO documentary featuring producer Rick Rubin is streaming now.
Jay-Z could announce the gig this weekend, and he plays the first of two nearly sold-out shows at SoFi Stadium, the same venue that hosts the Super Bowl. A Jay-Z show would also likely lean on his famous contacts for guest appearances.
Interestingly, the pick also carries some risk. Jay-Z has not had a major hit since 2013, when Beyoncé’s “Drunk in Love,” which featured him, reached number two on the charts. His last album was 4:44 in 2017. His ties to former President Barack Obama could draw criticism from some conservative viewers, and it also argues that live success depends on how an artist makes fans feel, not on recent chart results.
Roc Nation’s NFL partnership began in 2019, as the league faced criticism over its handling of Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick is the former quarterback who knelt during the national anthem to protest racial injustice. Reports say Jay-Z turned down an earlier Super Bowl offer for Super Bowl LII over the Kaepernick protests. Puck says commissioner Roger Goodell hired him to make the show cooler and win back casual fans.
Kendrick Lamar headlined the 2025 show. Bad Bunny followed in February at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The NFL typically names its halftime headliner in the fall.
Fans should learn the official answer soon.