Jay-Z to headline 2026 Super Bowl halftime show
The rapper will perform at SoFi Stadium on February 14, ending years of speculation and a previous refusal from the artist.
By Ivan Mori ·
Jay-Z will headline the Super Bowl halftime show.
The NFL, Apple Music, and Roc Nation announced on Monday night that the rapper will lead the musical performance on February 14 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. This marks the first time Jay-Z, born Shawn Carter, will take the stage as the featured act for the event.
The announcement resolves days of speculation regarding the lineup. It also follows Jay-Z's recent appearance at the same stadium. He closed his "Jay-Z 30" concert tour in Southern California over the weekend. That tour began with three shows at Yankee Stadium in New York and included a stop in London before concluding in California.
Roc Nation has worked with the NFL since 2019 to advise on and produce the league's entertainment presentations. Jay-Z founded the company in 2008 after co-founding Roc-A-Fella Records. In the early years of that partnership, he told NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell that if the deal was about him performing at the Super Bowl, they could end the conversation. Seven years later, that stance has changed.
Jay-Z holds 25 Grammy Awards and 89 nominations. His wife, Beyonce, has received more Grammy nominations and has performed at two previous Super Bowls. Jay-Z's catalog includes albums such as "Reasonable Doubt," "The Blueprint," and "The Black Album." His debut album, "Reasonable Doubt," entered the Grammy Hall of Fame last year.
The rapper's career extends beyond recording. He became the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017 and joined the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021. Roc Nation now functions as an entertainment company that works with various artists and athletes.
Bad Bunny performed at the Super Bowl in February 2025. His music saw sharp gains on streaming charts and playlists in the hours after that show.
