NEED TO KNOW
Super Bowl Sunday is set to kick off with star power.
The NFL has announced that Charlie Puth, Brandi Carlile and Coco Jones will perform before the start of Super Bowl LX, which is taking place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Feb. 8, 2026, and airing live on NBC, Telemundo and Peacock.
They join previously announced halftime headliner Bad Bunny, who is set to take the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show stage in what is expected to be one of the most-watched musical events of the year.
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Puth, 33, will take on the national anthem. The multi-platinum singer, songwriter and producer — behind streaming juggernauts like “Attention,” “We Don’t Talk Anymore” and “See You Again” — has amassed more than 35 billion career streams and a slate of chart-topping collaborations. His performance will come just weeks before the release of his fourth studio album, Whatever’s Clever!, due out March 6, 2026.
Eleven-time Grammy winner Carlile will perform “America the Beautiful.” One of the most acclaimed voices in music, Carlile, 44, is an Oscar nominee, two-time Emmy winner, bestselling author and activist. Her latest album, Returning to Myself, follows her Grammy-nominated collaboration with Elton John, Who Believes in Angels?
Rounding out the pre-game lineup is rising R&B star Jones, who will deliver a performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Jones, 27, won the 2024 Grammy for Best R&B Performance for her platinum track “ICU” and has since earned eight total nominations — including a 2026 Best R&B Album nod for her debut project Why Not More? She also stars as Hilary Banks on Peacock’s Bel-Air.
“Super Bowl Sunday is the world’s biggest entertainment stage, and we’re proud to spotlight artists who embody the very best of music and culture,” said Jon Barker, senior vice president of global event production for the NFL. “These artists bring a distinct voice to the moment, helping set the tone for a day that will captivate fans around the world.”
Desiree Perez, CEO of Roc Nation, added: “Charlie, Brandi and Coco are generational talents, and we are honored to have them — alongside our extraordinary deaf performers — on Super Bowl LX’s world stage. This moment embodies the very best of culture, live performance, and our country, perfectly kicking off game day.”
This year’s entertainment will also highlight powerful American Sign Language performances by renowned Deaf music artists Fred Beam — who will sign both “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing” — and Julian Ortiz, who will interpret “America the Beautiful.”
And in a historic first, the signed rendition of the Apple Music Halftime Show will feature a multilingual signing program incorporating Puerto Rican Sign Language, led by Deaf Puerto Rican performer Celimar Rivera Cosme. All signed performances are collaborations with Alexis Kashar of LOVE SIGN and Howard Rosenblum of Deaf Equality.
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Bad Bunny was announced as the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show performer back in September.
“What I’m feeling goes beyond myself,” the 31-year-old Puerto Rican rapper, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, said in a statement. “It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown… this is for my people, my culture, and our history. Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el HALFTIME SHOW DEL SUPER BOWL.”
While the decision has drawn massive excitement from fans, it’s also bred intense criticism with conservative commentators and political figures slamming the choice of having a Spanish-language performer amid President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
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But NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has stood by Bad Bunny. “I’m not sure we’ve ever selected an artist where we didn’t have some blowback or criticism,” he said in October. “It’s pretty hard to do when you have literally hundreds of millions of people that are watching.”
The commissioner went on to explain that Bad Bunny was chosen for the coveted slot because he’s “one of the leading and most popular entertainers in the world” and that the selection reflects a deliberate strategy to reach younger, more diverse audiences while embracing broader cultural currents.
“What Benito has done and continues to do for Puerto Rico is truly inspiring,” said Jay-Z — who, since 2019, has served as the league’s live music entertainment strategist, making the final call regarding Halftime Show performers. “We are honored to have him on the world’s biggest stage.”
