One of the major non-football storylines that centers around the Super Bowl is the halftime show. These days, the halftime show is one of the most exciting performances of the year and is headlined by some of the biggest artists of all time.
In 2024, Usher took the stage in Las Vegas. In 2023, Rihanna took the stage at State Farm Stadium during Super Bowl LVII. Before that, five performers took the stage for Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles, California: Eminem, Dr. Dre. Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige performed halfway through the Rams win over the Bengals. Just a few years after that performance, Kendrick Lamar is once again hitting the Super Bowl stage, this time as a headliner.
The NFL, Roc Nation and Apple Music announced ahead of Sunday’s Week 1 games that the 17-time Grammy winner will be this year’s performer. SZA was announced as the special guest a few weeks before the big game.
Usher headlined the Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show in Las Vegas in 2024.
Ranking 10 most iconic Super Bowl halftime performances of all-time: Most memorable moments from the big game
Shanna McCarriston
For the artists who play the halftime show at the Super Bowl, they’re entertaining an audience that is exponentially bigger than any they’ve ever encountered. It was not always like that however.
So, what were the shows like before they were must-see television? Do you remember that killer halftime show featuring the Rockettes, Chubby Checker and the 88 grand pianos in 1988? Do you remember the captivating “Be Bop Bamboozled” at the Orange Bowl in 1989? No, no you do not. Ditto Carol Channing (twice) or any one of those four annoyingly contrived Up With People…
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