Kendrick Lamar and SZA to Headline Super Bowl 2025 Halftime Show

When Super Bowl LIX kicks off in New Orleans on February 9, 2025, the halftime show will belong to Kendrick Lamar—with SZA joining as a special guest. No Taylor Swift, no last-minute surprise. Just Lamar’s first time headlining the biggest stage in American sports, and SZA right there with him.

Lamar is no stranger to the Super Bowl. He showed up as a guest during the Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre halftime set in 2022. This time he’s the main act. Entertainment Weekly and other outlets confirmed the booking: Lamar and SZA will take the stage at the Caesars Superdome for the 2025 game. The rest of the pregame and anthem lineup is stacked too. Jon Batiste will perform the national anthem. Lauren Daigle and Trombone Shorty will do “America the Beautiful,” and Ledisi will perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” So the whole block—anthem, pregame, halftime—is set.

Why Taylor Swift Keeps Coming Up

Taylor Swift’s name gets attached to almost every major event now. So when the 2026 Super Bowl halftime slot started making news, rumors spread that she’d been offered the show and turned it down. She didn’t. As the AP, BBC, and US News have reported, Swift went on “The Tonight Show” and set the record straight. She said that someone from Jay-Z’s camp had informally asked how she felt about the Super Bowl, but there was never an official offer. She also said she’s focused on supporting her fiancé, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, when he’s on the field—not on planning a performance. The 2026 halftime headliner is Bad Bunny, not Swift. So the “Taylor turned it down” story was just noise.

What to Expect From Lamar and SZA

Lamar and SZA are two of the most acclaimed artists of the last decade. Lamar’s catalog runs from good kid, m.A.A.d city to Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, with Pulitzer and Grammy wins in between. SZA’s Ctrl and SOS have defined a lot of modern R&B and pop. Together they can go big, introspective, or both—which is exactly what a Super Bowl halftime needs. The NFL and its partners have been leaning into hip-hop and R&B more and more; this booking doubles down on that.

New Orleans adds another layer. The city’s music culture is part of the draw. Trombone Shorty on “America the Beautiful” will sound like it belongs there. So the 2025 show isn’t just “another halftime”; it’s a statement about who’s headlining and where.

The Rest of the Lineup

Jon Batiste has become a fixture at major events—Oscars, Grammys, and now the Super Bowl. His take on the national anthem will set the tone before kickoff. Lauren Daigle and Ledisi bring gospel and soul into the mix. So from anthem to “Lift Every Voice” to halftime, the 2025 Super Bowl is going to feel like a full concert block, with Lamar and SZA as the peak.