Jay-Z to headline Super Bowl LXI halftime show
Roc Nation executive producer takes the stage at SoFi Stadium after seven years of advising the NFL.
By Ahmed Montgomery ·
Jay-Z will perform at the Super Bowl LXI halftime show on Feb. 14, 2026, marking his first solo appearance on the event's main stage. The NFL, Apple Music, and Roc Nation confirmed the announcement Monday night. The performance is scheduled for SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
The move follows a seven-year partnership between Roc Nation and the NFL. The entertainment company has advised on and helped produce the league's halftime presentations since 2019. Jay-Z, who founded Roc Nation in 2008, previously told NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell that he would not perform if the deal was solely about his own set.
Goodell stated he had one specific request during initial negotiations: Jay-Z should take the stage whenever the moment felt right to him. The rapper agreed to perform after closing a 30th-anniversary tour for his 1996 debut album, Reasonable Doubt. The tour included sold-out shows at Yankee Stadium in New York and performances in London and Paris.
Jay-Z finished the tour at SoFi Stadium this past weekend. The final night featured a rotating cast of guests, including Scarface, John Legend, and DJ Khaled. Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Too $hort joined him during the finale. His daughter, Blue Ivy, played piano on the tracks 'The Story of O.J.' and 'Dead Presidents.'
The artist, born Shawn Carter, has won 25 Grammy Awards from 89 nominations. He is the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, joining the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021. He is also a four-time Emmy winner. Reasonable Doubt was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame last year.
Roc Nation will executive produce the upcoming halftime show. Hamish Hamilton will serve as the director. The Super Bowl LXI broadcast will air on ESPN and ABC, with streaming available on Disney+.
The previous halftime performance by Bad Bunny in February drew an average of 128.2 million viewers from 8:15 to 8:30 p.m. ET. That show won a record seven Emmy Awards. Jay-Z's performance will follow a lineage that includes Michael Jackson, Usher, and Kendrick Lamar, who holds the record for the most-watched halftime with 133.5 million viewers in 2025.
Source: ESPN
