The biggest NFL event is set to take place on Sunday, February 12, as Super Bowl LVII between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles will be hosted at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
Every year, the Super Bowl halftime show attracts interest from fans and viewers from all around the world, as famous artists perform on the stage.
This year's edition will be headlined by Rihanna, who had previously turned down an offer to perform in 2019 in support for former NFL player Colin Kaepernick, who protested against police brutality three years earlier by taking a knee during the national anthem.
"I just couldn't be a sellout, I couldn't be an enabler," she revealed in an interview with Vogue back in 2019.
"There's things within that organization that I do not agree with at all, and I was not about to go and be of service to them in any way."
Back in September, Rihanna took to social media to announce that she would headline the 2023 Super Bowl halftime show, one which is sponsored by Apple Music.
The Weeknd, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Maroon 5, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, The Black Eyed Peas, Madonna, The Rolling Stones, Prince, Shania Twain and Stevie Wonder are some of the artists who performed at the Super Bowl halftime show in the past.
Which other artists have refused to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show?
However, it's not only Rihanna who decided to turn down an offer to headline the Super Bowl halftime show in the past.
According to TMZ, Taylor Swift was offered the spot for this year's event but she declined in her bid to focus on re-recording her first six albums.
Jay-Z turned down the opportunity to headline the 2020 edition after the NFL allegedly informed him that they wanted control over who he could bring out for the performance.
Pink and Cardi B also rejected the NFL's offer to perform in 2019 for the same reason that Rihanna turned down the opportunity.
Adele stressed in 2016 that she would not perform in the Super Bowl because "that show is not about music".
Meanwhile, Outkast turned down the opportunity to perform at the 2004 Super Bowl because Andre 3000 "didn't want to cut the songs" for time purposes.
FAQs
For years, Swift has allegedly declined the slot due to having inked a “long-term partnership” with Coca-Cola, the rival brand to the Super Bowl Halftime sponsor, Pepsi. When Apple Music took over as the official sponsor in 2022, there were rumors that she was offered the gig.
Which artist has never performed at the Super Bowl halftime show? ›
From A-listers like Adele and Taylor Swift who have never performed, and reportedly don't intend to anytime soon, to stars like Rihanna who once boycotted the event before changing her mind, there are many reasons why some artists have avoided the Super Bowl.
Why do artists not want to perform at the Super Bowl? ›
With Super Bowl LVIII almost upon us and big anticipation for headline act Usher hitting the stage between the action as the Chiefs and 49ers go up against each other, it's hard to believe that some stars have previously refused to participate in the Super Bowl's halftime show, citing reasons from disagreement with the ...
Who said no to the Super Bowl halftime show in 2024? ›
Usher's 2024 Super Bowl Halftime Show Invite. Halftime show? This is why he didn't perform.
Who was the player crying at the Super Bowl? ›
PARADISE, Nevada -- One year after Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni went viral for shedding tears during the Super Bowl national anthem, Kansas City Chiefs star Chris Jones has followed suit, noticeably crying moments before kickoff Sunday.
Who hasn't done the Super Bowl halftime? ›
Taylor Swift has never performed during the Super Bowl.
Why couldn't Taylor Swift perform at the Super Bowl? ›
TMZ confirmed that she was offered but declined it because she was working on her album re-records at the time. What could also be preventing Swift is her busy schedule. She released her Oct.
What artist canceled the Super Bowl? ›
Tiësto Cancels Super Bowl DJ Performance Due to "Family Emergency" The Dutch dance music icon was poised to become the first in-game DJ in Super Bowl history.
Has any artist been paid to perform at the Super Bowl? ›
Has anyone ever been paid? Rihanna performs onstage during the Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show at State Farm Stadium on February 12, 2023. No one has ever been paid for their performance, however at one point, the NFL wanted to charge artists to perform.
How much is Usher getting paid for the Super Bowl? ›
At least not directly. More than 100 million people tune in to the Super Bowl yearly, but the halftime show performers are not typically paid any more than SAG-AFTRA's minimum union rate. For Usher, that amounts to $671.00 for the performance itself, a union spokesperson told Business Insider.
How much do Super Bowl halftime shows cost?
- 2001: Aerosmith, NSYNC, $11 million.
- 2007: Prince, $12 million.
- 2013: Beyoncé, $600,000.
- 2017: Lady Gaga, $10 million.
- 2020: Jennifer Lopez and Shakira, $13 million.
- 2021: The Weeknd, $17 million.
- 2022: Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar, $7 million.
In fact, the "Yeah!" singer said he has no hard feelings over the reason the "Baby" singer declined his invited to be a special guest during his 2024 Super Bowl Halftime performance. "I think that it might've been the fact that he's just wanting to tell a different story right now," Usher explained during a Feb.
Why didn't Justin Bieber perform with Usher at Super Bowl? ›
Usher's remarks came two days after Lil Jon — who did join the star-studded halftime show — told TMZ that Bieber "just wasn't really ready" to take on all that the Super Bowl entails. "That's a lot of rehearsal, a lot of responsibility, a lot of time and a lot of eyeballs.
Is Taylor going to be at the Super Bowl 2024? ›
Taylor Swift makes it to 2024 Super Bowl to cheer on Travis Kelce with guests Blake Lively, Ice Spice - CBS News.
Why didn t Rihanna get paid for the Super Bowl halftime show? ›
The truth is, artists that perform at a Super Bowl halftime historically make nothing. In a 2016 interview with Forbes, NFL spokesperson Joanna Hunter said: “We do not pay the artists. We cover expenses and production costs.”
Why did Pink turn down the Super Bowl? ›
Pink cited the NFL's treatment of Colin Kaepernick — the former quarterback who was penalized for taking a knee against police brutality and racism during the National Anthem at his games in 2016 — as the reason she ultimately decided not to perform again. "I'd probably take a knee and get carried out," Pink said.
What was the most controversial halftime show? ›
The Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show, which was broadcast live on February 1, 2004, from Houston, Texas, on the CBS television network, is notable for a moment in which Janet Jackson's right breast and nipple—adorned with a nipple shield—was exposed by Justin Timberlake to the viewing public.
