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The Super Bowl halftime show used to sit on the sidelines; now it’s the main event. We explore the legacy of these live performances and uncover what it takes to make them happen FIFTEEN MINUTES OF FAME
Words Katie Kasperson W hat began as a most-watched television broadcast in the United States every year, with its halftime show – which now regularly surpasses 100 million viewers – awarding each lucky performing artist roughly 15 minutes to give it their all on a global stage. Today, everything serves as an entertainment opportunity, and sports are no exception – the Super Bowl being perhaps the best example of this. But what does it take to put on such a show, and a memorable one at that? My own memory of the Super Bowl halftime show begins in 2009, when Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band brought their biggest hits – Born to Run and Glory Days included – to the big game. Others might recall the Janet mindless intermission has grown into the gig of a lifetime. The Super Bowl is the Jackson-Justin Timberlake fiasco of 2004, which caused their careers (but mostly Ms Jackson’s) to take a serious hit. Prior to that, her late brother Michael rocked with us in 1993, marking the first
time the halftime show recorded more viewers than the game itself. Many others have come and gone, putting their own stamp on the Super Bowl – whether it be jamming on an electric purple guitar during a downpour (Prince, 2007) or by surprising us with a special guest (Katy Perry, Missy Elliott and Lenny Kravitz, 2015). From Beyoncé to Britney, Madonna to Diana Ross, each show comes with its own flavour. There are backup dancers, marching bands, flashing lights and fireworks; there are political statements (Bono’s American flag, Eminem taking a knee) and self-promos (Rihanna pausing to fix her Fenty makeup). Each Super Bowl brings something unique to the table, and that’s why we all tune in; so as not to miss a moment that only happens once. FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS When the Super Bowl first began in 1967, a myriad of performers put on the inaugural halftime show. The American football event – which didn’t sell out, though the CBS/NBC simulcast raked in a combined 51 million viewers – seemed
The Super Bowl has really stepped up its game since the first celebrity feature of Michael Jackson, with Kendrick Lamar taking the baton for this year’s edition of the coveted spectacle
incredibly low-key compared to today’s standards, with tickets costing roughly $110 when adjusted for inflation. Now it’s anybody’s guess, but it’s doubtful people were paying to see marching bands, 300 pigeons, 10,000 balloons and a local high-school drill team. Despite its rocky start, the Super Bowl has sold out from then on, though the halftime shows didn’t immediately improve. For a while, they continued to invite college marching bands and a charity performance group called Up with People. Themes were introduced for Super Bowl III, which were intended to be universally uplifting or inclusive. Since then, these have spanned Disney’s It’s a Small World , Tapestry of Nations and a tribute to those killed in the September 11 attacks – quite a range.
WATCH ME Kendrick
Lamar’s record-
breaking halftime show 2025
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