50 Fun Facts About Super Bowl Halftime Show

During most of the Super Bowl's first decade, the halftime show featured what kind of act?

A college marching band was the norm: at the first game in 1967, the Arizona and Grambling bands shared the field with two jetpack pilots, 300 pigeons and 10,000 balloons.

Which wholesome troupe starred in four Super Bowl halftime shows between 1976 and 1986?

Up with People headlined in 1976, 1980, 1982 and 1986 with hundreds of clean-cut young singers, and critics looking back now rank those shows among the worst ever.

Which Fox sketch comedy lured viewers away from the 1992 halftime show with a live episode?

In Living Color pulled about 22 million viewers to Fox during a figure-skating show called 'Winter Magic', and the NFL answered by booking a pop superstar the next year.

Whose 1993 halftime show was the first where Super Bowl TV ratings rose between the halves?

Michael Jackson was launched onto the stage and stood frozen for a full 90 seconds before moving, and the TV audience grew during halftime for the first time.

Which anthem did a Los Angeles children's choir sing in the 1993 halftime finale?

We Are the World came from the children's choir, who then joined the headliner for 'Heal the World' as a giant inflatable globe rose at midfield.

How did Diana Ross leave the field at the end of her 1996 halftime show in Tempe?

In a helicopter: she called out 'Oh my, here comes my ride' as it landed on the field, then flew out of Sun Devil Stadium sitting in its open door.

The 2001 halftime show 'The Kings of Rock and Pop' was headlined by NSYNC and which rock band?

Aerosmith traded hits with NSYNC before Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige and Nelly joined for 'Walk This Way', in the first show to put fans on the field around the stage.

Which band's 2002 halftime show projected the names of the September 11 victims onto a giant scrim?

U2 scrolled the names behind the stage while playing 'MLK' and 'Where the Streets Have No Name', and Bono ended by opening his jacket to show an American flag in the lining.

The 2003 halftime show in San Diego featured Shania Twain, Sting and which ska-pop band?

No Doubt tore through 'Just a Girl', with Gwen Stefani changing the line to 'I'm just a girl at the Super Bowl', and she then joined Sting for 'Message in a Bottle'.

What phrase did the 2004 Janet Jackson halftime incident give the dictionary?

Wardrobe malfunction came from Justin Timberlake's written apology after the show, and the Chambers Dictionary added the phrase in 2008.

How much did the FCC fine CBS over the 2004 halftime incident, a penalty later voided on appeal?

$550,000 was the penalty, but it did not stand: a federal appeals court threw it out twice, ruling the FCC had changed its indecency policy without warning.

A co-founder of which website has said the 2004 halftime incident helped inspire it?

YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim said the struggle to find footage of the incident online, along with clips of the 2004 tsunami, gave him the idea for a video-sharing site.

After the 2004 halftime controversy, which veteran star did the NFL book for 2005 as a 'safe' choice?

Paul McCartney played 'Drive My Car', 'Get Back', 'Live and Let Die' and 'Hey Jude' alone on an LED stage, with no guests and nothing to alarm the censors.

The Rolling Stones' 2006 halftime stage in Detroit was built in the shape of what?

Their tongue-and-lips logo became the stage, and the broadcast dialed down Mick Jagger's microphone on two lyrics the league judged too explicit.

Which university's marching band backed Prince at his rain-soaked 2007 Super Bowl halftime show in Miami?

Florida A&M's Marching 100 joined him for 'Baby I'm a Star', and when producers warned Prince about the downpour he asked whether they could make it rain harder.

Which British band headlined the 2010 halftime show in Miami Gardens?

The Who opened with 'Pinball Wizard', then leaned on songs CBS viewers knew as TV themes: 'Who Are You', 'Won't Get Fooled Again' and 'Baba O'Riley' open the three main CSI series.

The Black Eyed Peas' 2011 halftime show featured Usher and which guest guitarist?

Slash rose from beneath the stage in a sequined top hat to play 'Sweet Child o' Mine' while Fergie sang the Axl Rose part.

Which Madonna 2012 halftime guest flipped off the camera, prompting an NFL claim that grew to eight figures?

M.I.A. raised her middle finger during 'Give Me All Your Luvin'', the NFL and NBC apologised soon after the show, and the league's $1.5 million claim against her later swelled to $16.6 million.

Beyoncé's 2013 halftime show in New Orleans reunited her with which two former Destiny's Child bandmates?

Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams were launched up through the stage for 'Bootylicious', then stayed to sing 'Single Ladies', which was never a Destiny's Child song.

Which band guested at Bruno Mars's 2014 halftime show and later admitted their instruments were unplugged?

Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea explained that the NFL required pre-recorded instruments with live vocals, so the band chose not to pretend by plugging in.

Katy Perry entered her 2015 halftime show riding what?

A golden mechanical lion carried her in as she opened, fittingly, with 'Roar'; Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott joined her later in the set.

'Left Shark' became famous at the 2015 halftime show for what?

Dancing offbeat and out of sync beside Katy Perry made the costumed dancer an instant meme, and her lawyers soon tried to trademark 'Left Shark'.

Which British band headlined the Super Bowl 50 halftime show, with Beyoncé and Bruno Mars as guests?

Coldplay were upstaged at their own show: reviewers agreed the night belonged to Beyoncé, who premiered 'Formation' before facing off with Bruno Mars to 'Uptown Funk'.

What formed an American flag in the night sky to open Lady Gaga's 2017 halftime show?

Drones, 300 of them from Intel, made the flag, but not live: the rooftop segment was taped days earlier because flying them over the stadium was restricted.

Prince's family let Justin Timberlake use his likeness at the 2018 halftime show on condition he avoided what?

A hologram was ruled out: Prince had called performing with a hologram of another artist 'the most demonic thing imaginable', so Timberlake sang beside projected Purple Rain footage instead.

Which rapper agreed to join Maroon 5's 2019 halftime show only if the NFL backed a $500,000 social justice donation?

Travis Scott had the NFL join him in giving $500,000 to Dream Corps, Van Jones's social justice group, after several stars reportedly refused the show in support of Colin Kaepernick.

The 2020 halftime show in Miami Gardens was co-headlined by Jennifer Lopez and which Colombian singer?

Shakira's tongue-wagging at the camera became the night's meme; fans explained it as a zaghrouta, an Arabic expression of joy heard at weddings, and pointed to her Lebanese roots.

What covered the faces of The Weeknd's dancers at his 2021 halftime show?

Bandages, a look from his After Hours era, wrapped every dancer's face; he also reportedly put $7 million of his own money into the production.

The Weeknd's 2021 halftime show drew 96.7 million TV viewers, slightly more than what?

The game itself averaged 95.2 million on CBS, and even that was a second count: Nielsen first reported 91.6 million, then revised it after undercounting people watching away from home.

The 2022 halftime show in Los Angeles was the first built entirely around which genre?

Hip hop took over with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar, and Eminem ended 'Lose Yourself' by taking a knee, the protest Colin Kaepernick began on NFL sidelines.

Rihanna's 2023 halftime show was the first sponsored by which company, ending Pepsi's run?

Apple Music replaced Pepsi, which had sponsored the show for ten years; Rihanna marked the change by singing alone on platforms floating high above the field.

What personal news was confirmed about Rihanna immediately after her 2023 halftime show?

Her second pregnancy was confirmed by her representative minutes after the show; her red jumpsuit had already set viewers guessing during the set.

Usher's 2024 halftime show, with Alicia Keys, Lil Jon and Ludacris, was in which city?

Las Vegas was already Usher's stage: he had just closed a 100-show residency in the city before turning the Allegiant Stadium field into a roller rink.

Which actor appeared as Uncle Sam throughout Kendrick Lamar's 2025 halftime show in New Orleans?

Samuel L. Jackson's Uncle Sam heckled Lamar between songs like a video-game referee, at one point ordering, 'Scorekeeper, deduct one life'.

Which Drake diss track did Kendrick Lamar tease, then play, at his 2025 halftime show?

Not Like Us arrived only after he joked 'they love to sue'; he skipped its harshest word while Serena Williams crip-walked at the side of the stage.

Who headlined the 2026 Levi's Stadium halftime show, the first performed almost entirely in Spanish?

Bad Bunny filled the field with scenes of Puerto Rican life, from a sugar-cane field to his casita, and brought out Lady Gaga for a salsa 'Die with a Smile'.

How much does the NFL pay halftime headliners as an appearance fee?

$0 is the going rate: the league covers costs for the act and its entourage, and performers accept because the exposure sends their record sales soaring.

In 2019 the NFL named which Jay-Z company as 'live music entertainment strategist' for the halftime show?

Roc Nation's deal, signed as the league tried to move past the uproar over player protests, gave Jay-Z a hand in choosing and producing the halftime show.

Which movie hero did Disney build its 1995 halftime show around, rescuing the Super Bowl trophy from a temple?

Indiana Jones, played by an actor rather than Harrison Ford, recovered the Lombardi Trophy in a Disney stunt spectacular while Patti LaBelle and Tony Bennett sang.

For six years after the 2004 controversy, the NFL booked halftime headliners mainly from which genre?

Classic rock ruled from 2005 to 2010, as the league swapped MTV-produced pop revues for veteran acts, the Rolling Stones among them, that critics found safe to a fault.

Why did ABC not air New Kids on the Block's 1991 halftime show live?

It ran a Gulf War news report instead, anchored by Peter Jennings while Operation Desert Storm was under way. The Disney-produced show aired on tape delay after the game.

The 1989 halftime show starred an Elvis-impersonating magician who led a stadium-wide card trick, billed as whom?

Elvis Presto burst out of a jukebox and ran a pick-a-card trick for the whole crowd. Viewers at home were meant to watch it through 3-D glasses.

Which country act reunited for the finale of 1994's 'Rockin' Country Sunday' halftime show?

The Judds had said farewell in 1991, and Wynonna was booked solo until her mother Naomi walked out for the finale. Clint Black, Tanya Tucker and Travis Tritt shared the bill.

Who joined Dan Aykroyd and Jim Belushi as the third brother in 1997's 'Blues Brothers Bash'?

John Goodman and Jim Belushi stood in for the late John Belushi to plug the film Blues Brothers 2000. A planned bungee stunt was cut after a stuntwoman died in rehearsal.

Queen Latifah became the first rapper to play a Super Bowl halftime show in 1998, in a 40th-anniversary tribute to which label?

Motown had Latifah on its roster by then, and she sang rather than rapped her single 'Paper'. Boyz II Men, Smokey Robinson, Martha Reeves and The Temptations shared the bill.

Which Miami-raised singer played the halftime show in Minneapolis in 1992, then again at home in 1999?

Gloria Estefan sang among skaters and snowmen at 1992's Winter Magic show, then shared 1999's 'Soul, Salsa and Swing' bill in Miami with Stevie Wonder and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.

Which singer performed 'Two Worlds', his song from Disney's Tarzan, at the Disney-produced 2000 halftime show?

Phil Collins and his co-stars skipped their hits for Disney songs, since Disney owned broadcaster ABC and used halftime to plug an Epcot parade. Edward James Olmos narrated.

Which band headlined the 2008 halftime show, opening with 'American Girl' to kick off a world tour?

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers got the slot after the Eagles turned the NFL down. They followed their opener with I Won't Back Down, Free Fallin' and Runnin' Down a Dream.

What did Bruce Springsteen's knee slide crash into during his 2009 halftime show?

A TV camera took the crotch-first hit live on air, and Springsteen later blamed too much adrenaline and a late drop. He had opened by ordering viewers to step back from the guacamole dip.

A viral petition begged the 2019 Maroon 5 show to play 'Sweet Victory', a song from which cartoon?

SpongeBob SquarePants fans signed the petition more than a million times after creator Stephen Hillenburg died. The show aired only a brief clip of Squidward's band, which many found a letdown.