Jay-Z has confirmed that he will take the stage at Super Bowl LXI in Los Angeles.
“From Reasonable Doubt to standing on the Super Bowl Halftime stage, this has been a journey,” Jay-Z said in a statement. “Thirty years of music, work, and culture on the world’s biggest stage. This run continues to be a dream come true.” The game is set to take place Feb. 14, 2027 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
The confirmation comes a week after Puck News reported that Jay-Z had decided to take the gig himself after an extended period of determining who would follow Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar. Since 2019, the rapper has been an essential figure in the decision-making process regarding the halftime show through Roc Nation’s ongoing co-production partnership with the NFL.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell praised Jay-Z’s impact on the league and celebrated the announcement in a separate statement Monday. “For several years, we’ve had the privilege of working closely with Jay-Z and Roc Nation, and I’ve seen the extraordinary impact he has had on the Super Bowl Halftime Show,” said Goodell. “When we first reached an agreement with Roc Nation to produce the show, I had just one request: that Jay-Z take the stage himself one day, whenever the moment felt right to him.”
There’s arguably no better time for Jay-Z to play one of the few major stages he’s yet to perform at. The rapper is coming off a massive year that found him celebrating the 30th anniversary of his debut album, Reasonable Doubt, as well as the 25th anniversary of his landmark 2001 LP, The Blueprint.
While the celebrations included a variety of pop-ups and activations and an HBO docuseries with Rick Rubin, he also spent more time on stage in recent months than he has in years. After headlining the Roots Picnic in June, Jay headlined three nights at Yankee Stadium, bringing out guests like Eminem, Nas, and Alicia Keys, as well as his wife Beyoncé and daughter Blue Ivy.
After the Yankee Stadium gigs, Jay headed overseas for stadium shows in London and Paris. He wrapped the run this month with a pair of shows at SoFi Stadium, which featured Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Too Short.