Super Bowl half-time show attracts biggest names in music

11 February 2024, 08:54

Rihanna
Kansas City Chiefs v Philadelphia Eagles – Super Bowl LVII – State Farm Stadium. Picture: PA

The spectacular event is one of the most coveted slots in music.

Usher will make his Super Bowl headline debut in the much-anticipated half-time show on Sunday.

The half-time show of the American football showpiece is one of the most coveted slots in music, attracting the biggest names in the industry.

Here, the PA news agency looks back at previous performers:

Kansas City Chiefs v Philadelphia Eagles – Super Bowl LVII – State Farm Stadium
Rihanna performs during the half-time show at Super Bowl LVII (Anthony Behar/PA)

– Rihanna

Last year the pop megastar kicked off her live headline performance with a major reveal, confirming she was pregnant with her second child.

The hit-heavy show saw Rihanna suspended above the stadium, dressed in a bold red jumpsuit, treating fans to a selection of tracks from her extensive catalogue, including Bitch Better Have My Money, We Found Love and Umbrella.

Throughout the performance, Rihanna commanded the stage, strolling up and down alongside a flock of dancers dressed in white hoodies and sweat pants, at one point stopping to touch up her make-up and performing razor-sharp choreography.

– Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J Blige and Kendrick Lamar

MTV Video Music Awards 2022 – Show – New Jersey
Eminem and Snoop Dogg (Doug Peters/PA)

In 2022, the hip hop heavyweights took to the stage alongside a surprise appearance from 50 Cent, real name Curtis Jackson, who appeared hanging upside down before joining the party with a performance of his hit song In Da Club.

R&B star Blige showed off her vocal range, while Eminem performed a rendition of Lose Yourself, and Lamar, Dr Dre and his protege Snoop Dogg sang their song The Next Episode.

A performance of West Coast rap anthem California Love followed, with Dre singing the lyrics by the late Tupac Shakur.

– Jennifer Lopez and Shakira

2018 MTV Video Music Awards – Show – New York
Jennifer Lopez (PA)

The pop superstars delivered a colourful display of Latin pride during their much-anticipated show, which was the first time two Latina woman had headlined the event.

The performance contained hit songs, fireworks, a small army of backing dancers and a cameo from J-Lo’s daughter, who was 11 at the time.

Colombian singer Shakira kicked off the performance with a medley of some of her biggest songs, including Empire, She Wolf and Whenever, Wherever, singing in Spanish and English.

Bronx-born Lopez arrived on a pole, a reminder of her acclaimed turn in stripper drama Hustlers, and opened with a snippet of her hit Jenny From The Block.

– Maroon 5

Capital FM Summertime Ball 2019 – Wembley Stadium
Adam Levine of Maroon 5 (Isabel Infantes/PA)

The band, fronted by Adam Levine, performed some of their best-known hits, including This Love, Girls Like You, She Will Be Loved and Sugar during their 2019 headline slot.

The performance featured a surprise appearance from US rapper Travis Scott, who was introduced by a SpongeBob SquarePants animated short before an asteroid light installation announced his arrival on stage.

Fans were unimpressed by the performance and voiced their displeasure on Twitter.

– Lady Gaga

British Academy Film Awards 2022 – Arrivals – London
Lady Gaga (Ian West/PA)

The US star performed a medley of her biggest hits during a patriotic performance, singing God Bless America and This Land Is Your Land.

She also performed Poker Face, Born This Way and Telephone before donning a gold jacket with spiked shoulders for her rendition of Just Dance.

Gaga ended the half-time show by jumping off the stage to catch a football thrown towards her.

– Beyonce

In 2013, the US star performed hit after hit, as well as bringing out Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, treating fans to a Destiny’s Child reunion.

Beyonce returned to the Super Bowl in 2016 for a star-studded half-time show alongside headliners Coldplay and guest Bruno Mars, performing a medley of hits for the 50th Super Bowl.

By Press Association

Latest World News

See more Latest World News

Wildfires destroy thousands of acres of homes across Los Angeles.

Wildfires threaten to cancel the Oscars as deadly fires continue to spread across LA

Indian navy personnel display their skills during Naval Day celebrations in Mumbai

Indian navy launches submarine and warships to guard against Chinese presence

Bangladesh’s former prime minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia leaves after a court appearance

Bangladeshi supreme court acquits ex-PM Zia

Jefferson Luiz Moraes' wife died after eating the Christmas cake

Husband of woman who died in 'Christmas cake poisoning' breaks silence after relative arrested for murders

Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol arrives at the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials in Gwacheon

South Korea’s impeached president detained in martial law investigation

A burned car is seen among debris in the wreckage of a home destroyed by the Palisades Fire in Malibu

Fresh warnings as death toll from wildfires rises to 25

South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol speaks during the declaration of emergency martial law at the Presidential Office on December 03

Impeached South Korean president finally arrested for trying to impose martial law

Elon Musk is being sued for failing to disclose his purchase of Twitter stocks before buying the company in 2022, which ‘allowed him to underpay’ by at least $150m (£123m).

US sues Musk for failing to disclose Twitter stock holdings to buy platform at ‘artificially low prices’

Musk-Neuralink Explainer

Elon Musk sued over failure to disclose stocks before buying Twitter

Police officers stand in front of the gate of the presidential residence of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul

South Korean law enforcement officials enter presidential compound

The Les Arcs resort in the Savoie region in France.

British woman, 62, dies on mountain slope after ‘violent collision’ with another UK tourist

A VW van sits among burned-out homes in Malibu, California

‘It should have been toasted’: Retro blue VW van survives deadly LA wildfire

South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol speaks during the declaration of emergency martial law at the Presidential Office on December 03

South Korean standoff as police move in to arrest impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol for second time

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be defence secretary, appears before the Senate Armed Services Committee for his confirmation hearing, at the Capitol in Washington

Senators grill Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s choice for Pentagon chief

Search and rescue workers dig through the rubble left behind by the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California

Southern California faces new wildfire warnings as winds regain strength

A new species of funnel-web spider has been discovered in Newcastle, Australia - even larger and more venomous than common Sydney funnel-web spiders.

New bigger and more venomous species of world’s deadliest spider found in Australia