Jay Z reportedly picked himself for the 2027 Super Bowl Halftime show: How is the headliner chosen?

Jay Z has reportedly picked himself to headline at the 2027 Super Bowl Halftime Show, Just Jared reported citing online outlet Puck. Several other big names have been on the list of potential headliners for the halftime show, including Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber.

Miley’s name was being speculated after she recently performed at the Hollywood Bowl, which several considered to be a test run before the superbowl announcement. Justin Bieber headlined Coachella, while Styles is set to wrap up the 2026 leg of his ‘Together Together’ tour on December 13, before resuming in April 2027.

Jay Z, who is now 56 years old is set to mark 30 years of his 1996 debut album ‘Reasonable Doubt’ and 25 years of his 2001 album ‘The Blueprint’. He has been celebrating the anniversaries with a stadium run with the three sold-out shows at Yankee Stadium in July, headlining at the Roots Picnic in Philadelphia and a sold-out show in Paris. All together these shows have reportedly grossed $42 million.


If he headlines Jay Z’s halftime show would rely on a catalog which has spanned 30 decades, different from recent halftime shows featuring Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar which were hit-driven. According to Just Jared, Jay Z is likely to bring out Beyonce if he headlines. This would be her third appearance at the Super Bowl Halftime Show after she earlier headlined in 2013 and performed as a special guest in 2016. He might also bring out other Roc Nation artists.

The NFL is yet to confirm a headliner for the halftime show, but an announcement is expected to come soon.

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How is the Halftime Show headliner picked?

The halftime show has evolved from an intermission where brands performed patriotic showcases to a highly anticipated cultural phenomenon occurring once every year and attracting millions of eyes. The evolution finally began with Michael Jackson’s halftime show in 1993, which witnessed more viewers than the game itself, according to The Washington Post.

The National Football League and Jay Z’s entertainment firm Roc Nation, signed a long-term deal in 2019. The partnership brought in the company to strategise on the NFL’s live music entertainment, and also in the planning and production of the Super Bowl Halftime Show each year.

Over the years several individuals have suggested that it is Jay Z himself who makes the final decision about the musical act for the halftime show. Popular radio host and DJ, Zane Lowe, told TODAY that, “In the end, it’s only one person who makes the decision, Jay Z”. Jesse Collins, a producer for the halftime show, said that since Roc Nation has been on the board the decision had always been made by Jay Z, according to TODAY.

According to NPR, the city hosting the superbowl brings a list of names to the board behind the halftime show, and the board selects the artist from the list. The board’s most famous member is Jay Z and they ultimately go with his decision.

Since the NFL’s partnership with Roc Nation began, they have produced seven halftime shows. These have seen a variety of artists. The first one to perform under them was Shakira and Jennifer Lopez in 2020 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. That performance also included Bad Bunny, J Balvin and Emme Muniz.

The Weeknd performed in 2021 in Tampa, Florida, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar all headlined in 2022. The 2024 halftime show saw Usher perform, Kendrick Lamar headlined in 2025 and Bad Bunny performed in 2026.

The Super Bowl LXI is scheduled to be held on Sunday, February 14, 2027 at the SoFi Stadium in California.