Jay-Z is set to headline the Super Bowl LXI halftime show on February 14, 2027, marking a new chapter in his relationship with the National Football League (NFL) after years of helping shape its biggest musical showcase.
The announcement by the NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation confirms that the rapper, whose real name is Shawn Carter, will perform at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
The booking puts one of hip-hop’s most influential business figures at the centre of an event that has evolved into a global entertainment platform, drawing audiences far beyond American football.
“From Reasonable Doubt to standing on the Super Bowl Halftime stage, this has been a journey,” Jay-Z said in a statement, referencing his 1996 debut album. “Thirty years of music, work, and culture on the world’s biggest stage.”
From producer to headliner
Jay-Z’s appointment carries particular significance because of his role behind the scenes. Roc Nation has partnered with the NFL since 2019 to advise on and produce entertainment presentations, including the Super Bowl halftime show.
The partnership began with the 2020 edition, headlined by Shakira and Jennifer Lopez, and has since helped position the halftime performance as a major intersection of music, sport and popular culture.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the league had wanted Jay-Z to perform for years, adding that he had made the rapper’s eventual appearance a personal request when the partnership with Roc Nation began.
The decision also represents a shift for an artist who once resisted the idea of performing at the Super Bowl while negotiating the relationship between Roc Nation and the league.
Now, Jay-Z will headline the show he has helped shape, bringing his own catalogue and three decades of cultural influence to one of the most closely watched entertainment events on the global calendar.
A catalogue built to travel
Jay-Z’s last solo studio album, 4:44, was released in 2017. His most recent collaborative studio album, Everything Is Love, arrived in 2018 with his wife, Beyoncé, under the Carters name.
Yet his influence extends well beyond recent chart releases. His catalogue includes Reasonable Doubt, The Blueprint and The Black Album, alongside enduring hits such as “99 Problems”, “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” and “Empire State of Mind”, his collaboration with Alicia Keys.
With 25 Grammy Awards to his name, Jay-Z has also built a business portfolio spanning music publishing, artist management, sports and entertainment. He co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records before establishing Roc Nation in 2008.
His selection suggests that the Super Bowl halftime show is not simply a contest for the hottest current hitmaker. Legacy, cultural relevance, catalogue strength and the ability to command a mass audience can also shape the NFL’s entertainment strategy.
The business of the halftime show
For the NFL and Apple Music, the halftime performance offers a high-profile platform for connecting sport with music, celebrity and global audiences. For Jay-Z and Roc Nation, it brings the partnership’s creative influence into sharper focus by placing its founder at the centre of the spectacle.
The announcement follows Jay-Z’s recent Jay-Z 30 concert tour, which concluded at SoFi Stadium after dates in New York and London, according to reports.
His Super Bowl appearance will now give fans another opportunity to revisit a catalogue that has helped define modern hip-hop, while testing how a legacy artist can translate decades of influence into a live performance designed for a worldwide audience.
Super Bowl LXI takes place on February 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in California.
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