Jay-Z will headline the halftime show of Super Bowl LXI, which will take place on February 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Apple Music, the sponsor of the spectacle, announced this during Monday’s NFL game between the Cowboys and the Eagles.
How the performance was announced
The announcement came in the form of a black-and-white video in which Jay-Z sits in the stands with a goat on his lap. The caption read „GOAT’s out of the bag,” a play on words with the English acronym „GOAT” (Greatest of All Time), which also means „goat.” Apple Music published the material on X with the hashtags #AppleMusicHalftime and #SBLXI, as reported by Fox News, among others, citing that post. Earlier, speculation about the choice of artist had circulated in the media.
The performance is officially called the Apple Music Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show. The rapper commented on it in a statement quoted by Variety: „From 'Reasonable Doubt’ to standing on the Super Bowl halftime stage – it’s been a journey.” He added that it represents „thirty years of music, work and culture on the biggest stage in the world.”
Why this is a special moment
Jay-Z has been linked to the show for years, but he has never performed in it himself, the BBC points out. His company Roc Nation has co-produced the show and has selected performers since 2019 (Billboard gives 2020 as the start of the production partnership, while Fox News gives 2019 – this discrepancy requires verification). In his statement, the rapper mentioned that, as part of his deal with Roc Nation, he had one request: that Jay-Z could one day walk onto the stage himself when he felt the right moment had come.
Billboard writes that the artist, in practice, granted himself this performance. The title of the rapper’s 1996 debut album, „Reasonable Doubt,” which he refers to, explains the reference to three decades of his career.
Date and venue
Super Bowl LXI is scheduled for February 14, 2027, Valentine’s Day, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, near Los Angeles. It is the home stadium of the Rams and the Chargers. As of publication, no guest list or performance program has been disclosed.
What it means for viewers in Poland
Due to the time difference, the NFL final will start in Poland late on the night of Sunday, February 14, into Monday, February 15. The halftime show featuring Jay-Z will therefore fall in the late night hours Polish time. It has not yet been announced which Polish broadcaster will show the game; broadcast rights in Poland are usually arranged separately.
