Shawn Carter will perform at the 2026 Super Bowl
The rapper confirmed he will take the 50-yard line stage in February, adding to a career filled with basketball and football references.
By Hugo Cook ·
Shawn Carter is set to perform at the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show. The confirmation ends a year of speculation about whether the rapper would appear on the stage he helped popularize. Carter will be on the field in February, even though the two teams playing the championship game have not yet been determined.
The announcement follows a cover story in GQ magazine published in March 2026. In that interview, Carter declared the year one focused on offense. That comment fueled a widespread question: would the artist known as Jay-Z actually choose to headline the biggest stage in sports? The answer is yes. He is going to the 50-yard line.
Carter has a long history of weaving sports into his music. His catalog includes references to Michael Jordan, NASCAR, and the NFL. The new performance is expected to feature his major hits. It will also likely include lyrics that compare his career to athletic feats.
His sports references span several decades. In 2001, he compared his draft position to the 1984 NBA draft, where the Portland Trail Blazers selected Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan. The lyric in Hola Hovito positions him as the superior pick in that historical blunder.
He has also referenced the NFL and NASCAR. A 2004 track compares his return to the music industry to Jeff Gordon claiming pole position in racing. Another song from 2001 compares his lyrical agility to the scrambling of former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Randall Cunningham.
Basketball figures appear frequently in his work. He compared himself to LeBron James in a 2008 remix of Too $hort's Blow The Whistle. That verse was part of a broader cultural moment involving the NBA playoffs. He also referenced New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera in a 2005 collaboration with Young Jeezy.
The performance will take place in February 2026. The specific date is tied to the conclusion of the NFL season. The teams have not been announced yet. The stage setup will center on the 50-yard line of the host stadium.
Carter is not the first rapper to perform at the Super Bowl. He helped change the format for halftime shows in recent years. This appearance marks his return to the event as a headliner. The show will feature his trademark hits alongside these specific sports-themed lyrics.
Source: ESPN
