- Super Bowl LIX will take place in New Orleans on February 9, 2025
- Kendrick Lamar is performing this year’s halftime show
- Decision to book Lamar was criticised by some rappers who wanted Lil Wayne
Super Bowl LIX is just around the corner, which means we are not far away from witnessing Kendrick Lamar light up over 80,000 people with his halftime show.
The final game of the NFL calendar regularly draws over 100m television viewers in the United States alone (the Kansas City Chiefs victory over the San Francisco 49ers drew an audience of 123m, last year) with more than 50m more people watching outside of the US.
And, aside from the game itself, it is the halftime show that proves to be a huge selling point of every Super Bowl offering, with Super Bowl LIX being no different.
Who is Headlining the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show?
Last year, Usher headlined the halftime show at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, with cameos from Alicia Keys, Ludacris, Lil Jon and others. Rihanna, Dr. Dre, The Weeknd, J’lo, Shakira, Maroon 5 and Justin Timberlake have played the Super Bowl in recent years, but none of them have been coming off the year that this year’s headliner, Kendrick Lamar, is coming off.
The Compton born rapper spent 2024 eviscerating Drake in one of the most high profile rap beefs in recent years. Dropping the tracks ‘Euphoria’, ‘6:16 in LA’, ‘Meet The Grahams’ and, most notoriously, ‘Not Like Us’, which has, to this date, been streamed over a billion times on Spotify. Capping off 2024, Lamar surprised everyone with the sudden release of ‘GNX’, his sixth studio album.
With Lamar’s halftime show announcement coming in September, a lot of controversy followed, with the likes of Birdman and Nicki Minaj lashing out at the decision to book the LA rapper over New Orleans native Lil Wayne. Lamar reacted on ‘GNX’ track ‘wacced out murals’, rapping, “I used to bump Tha Carter 3 [Wayne’s 2008 album]/ I held my Rollie chain proud/ Irony, I think my hard work let Lil Wayne down.” Later, Lamar raps, “Got the Super Bowl and Nas the only one congratulate me.”
The Super Bowl halftime show having a hometown hero performing is not a tradition, it must be said, so Birdman and Minaj’s hysteria over Wayne not being given the slot was likely linked to the person who now books the halftime acts for the Super Bowl. which brings us neatly onto…
Who Books the Super Bowl Halftime Show Headliners?
Since 2020, Jay-Z has served as executive producer of the Super Bowl halftime show, with his entertainment company Roc Nation. In 2023, Jay-Z and Roc Nation aligned with Apple to elevate the production of the shows even more, which has seen huge viewing figures for Rihanna’s performance in 2023 and Usher’s in 2024.
How Much Will Kendrick Lamar Make Performing at Super Bowl LIX?
Not a penny. Well, technically a Super Bowl halftime show will likely see any headline act’s ticket and record sales enjoy a sudden spike, alongside an increase in streaming revenue (although streaming revenue for artists is notoriously low). But when it comes to an actual fee being paid to the artists headlining the halftime show, they receive nothing. The NFL does cover production costs and travel expenses for the artists appearing, but the exposure alone (although it has to be questioned what exposure a Super Bowl halftime show act could possibly need, given they are routinely the biggest stars in the world) is seen as payment enough.
Per Forbes, the halftime show performers are paid on a “union scale,” which is just a fraction of the millions they usually command for a gig. It is actually a minimum wage guaranteed by a union contract. According to SAG-AFTRA’s most recent contract, this would amount to over $1,000 a day.
When and Where Will the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Take Place?
Super Bowl LIX is being held at Caesar’s Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana on Sunday, February 9, 2025. The game itself is scheduled to kick off at 6:30pm ET/5:30pm CT/3:30pm PT, meaning an 11.30pm start for fans watching in the United Kingdom.
The halftime show will take place at, well, the halfway point of the game, after the completion of the second quarter.
Which Teams Are Playing at Super Bowl LIX?
At the time of writing, the final two teams who will contest Super Bowl LIX have not been determined. The AFC and NFC Conference Championships, being played on Sunday January 26 will see two of the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders advance to New Orleans for the February 9 finale.
