With the greatest respect to sports enthusiasts, football isn’t the biggest draw for everyone on Super Bowl Sunday.
The game often plays second fiddle to the pageantry of the day. The lights are searing. The commercials are ceaseless. The colors are garish.
And the soundtracks are memorable. Each Super Bowl is backed by a unique melody. Some are driven by 808s and synths, while others feature horns and guitar. The 13-minute spectacle has proven increasingly noteworthy — and profitable — for both artists and corporations alike.
Super Bowl 60 should be no exception. The NFL has yet to unveil the halftime-show performer, but rest assured, it will be an international superstar.
Here’s a look at some names that have been linked to the stage in recent weeks.
MORE: Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce engagement, explained
Super Bowl 60 halftime show rumors
Three candidates have emerged as Super Bowl 60 halftime-show performers: Adele, Taylor Swift, and Miley Cyrus. All three are titans of the industry in their own right, accruing billions of streams and millions of sales between them.
Fans have also suggested additional names, further muddying the waters.
Here’s a look at the latest whispers regarding Adele, Swift, Cyrus, and others potentially performing at the Super Bowl 60 halftime show.
Adele
Adele
Page Six reported that the NFL is in talks with Adele over a potential appearance at Super Bowl 60. The British pop maven reportedly hasn't been booked yet. But the prospect of her lending her services to the matchup is seen as enticing to league sources.
Adele has long been considered a viable halftime-show candidate. The six-time Grammy Award winner isn’t believed to be much of a football fan, but her booming voice has drawn endless admirers, including halftime-show organizers. In 2016, Adele told fans she turned down the opportunity to perform at Super Bowl 51.
“First of all, I’m not doing the Super Bowl," Adele said. "I mean, that show is not about music, I can’t dance or anything like that. They were very kind, they did ask me, but I did say no."
The NFL and Pepsi, its lead Super Bowl halftime-show sponsor, denied Adele’s claims at the time.
“We have had conversations with several artists about the Pepsi Super Bowl halftime show," the NFL’s statement read. "However, we have not at this point extended a formal offer to Adele or anyone else.”
The London native has become an increasingly visible figure at sporting events. Her romance with famed sports agent Rich Paul has certainly played a role. Adele also attended Super Bowl 58, although she said her primary reason for going was to watch Rihanna.
“I’m going just for Rihanna," Adele told a crowd. "I don’t give a flying f–.”
Taylor Swift 081625
© Denny Medley
MORE: List of every Super Bowl halftime show performer
Taylor Swift
Swift’s relationship with Chiefs star Travis Kelce has helped line NFL executives’ pockets. A performance at Super Bowl 60 could increase that profit tenfold.
It’s easy to see why the league is eager to land Swift’s services. She’s arguably the biggest pop star in the world and would draw millions of eyes to its signature spectacle. There isn’t much tangible evidence linking the 35-year-old to the halftime-show stage yet, but the NFL has made its position on Swift clear. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said as much during an appearance on NBC’s Today.
“She is a special, special talent, and obviously she would be welcome at any time," Goodell said.
Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus
Cyrus has been tipped to perform at the Super Bowl 60 halftime show in recent weeks. The trigger for the rumors appears to be a post that circulated on X claiming Apple Music, another lead sponsor for the halftime show, was teasing Cyrus as the headliner for the 2026 event.
🚨 Apple Music seems to be teasing that Miley Cyrus will headline the 2026 #SuperBowl Halftime Show. pic.twitter.com/0VSQnTqVmt
— Transleytanked (@transleytanked) September 17, 2025
Posted by a Cyrus fan page, the tweet garnered more than 12 million views in three days. There are some glaring issues with the post — namely, that it features the Roman numerals for Super Bowl 58, not Super Bowl 60.
Still, that hasn’t quelled the belief among segments of the internet that Cyrus could wield the microphone on Super Bowl Sunday.
She does have some experience performing on the big day. In 2021, Cyrus performed during the Super Bowl 55 TikTok Tailgate.
She delivered a raucous performance in front of the bipartisan Chiefs and 49ers crowd, performing some of her most well-known tracks, including “Party in the U.S.A.” and “Wrecking Ball.”
MORE:Five worst Super Bowl halftime shows in NFL history
So, will Cyrus get the nod on the second Sunday in February? It's anyone's guess. There hasn't been much reportage on the matter thus far. But things move quickly, especially when the NFL is concerned.
Metallica
Metallica
Surprisingly, Metallica hasn't yet hosted a Super Bowl halftime. Could 2026 spell an end to its dry spell?
Drummer Lars Ulrich put the band's hat into the ring during an August interview with Howard Stern.
“F— yeah, of course we would (want to play the Super Bowl),” Ulrich said while appearing on Stern's Sirius XM program.
It’s easy to see why Ulrich and Co. would want the honor. Not only would they be the first metal band tasked with soundtracking the big game, but the 2026 iteration of the event would represent a homecoming of sorts for the group, which originated in San Francisco. Super Bowl 60 will be hosted at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, home of the 49ers.
“First of all we would do it. Second of all, to do it in San Francisco would be a dream come true and would be the right fit," Ulrich said. "Certainly as somebody who’s represented San Francisco all over the world and shouted for decades about San Francisco and our love for the Bay Area, that part of it is the right fit."
If Metallica were selected to perform, it would be the first band to land the gig since Coldplay in 2016 and the first rock band to take on the responsibility since The Who in 2010. Although a decision hasn’t been made yet, Metallica has at least one noteworthy supporter in its corner: Super Bowl 58 performer Usher.
#EXCLUSIVE 🤔 Do you agree? Usher says he wants to rock out for the next Super Bowl Halftime Show -- to the classic metal sounds of Metallica! https://t.co/egMpk8EUt5 pic.twitter.com/LRuSHTMPAV
— TMZ (@TMZ) September 12, 2025
Where is the Super Bowl in 2026?
Super Bowl 60 will be held at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., home of the Niners. The site has one Super Bowl under its belt, having served as the home venue for the spectacle in 2016 when the Broncos downed the Panthers.
The West Coast has proven an increasingly popular backdrop for the big game in recent years. Three of the last four Super Bowls were held out west.
MORE: Five best Super Bowl halftime shows in NFL history
Super Bowl halftime show history
Super Bowl Year Performer(s)
1 1967 Universities of Arizona and Grambling University Bands
2 1968 "Old Man Winter Takes a Vacation in Miami" featuring seven local Miami-area high school bands
3 1969 "America Thanks" with Florida A&M University
4 1970 Carol Channing
5 1971 Florida A&M Band
6 1972 "Salute to Louis Armstrong" with Ella Fitzgerald, Carol Channing, Al Hirt and U.S. Marine Corps Drill Team
7 1973 "Happiness Is..." with University of Michigan Band and Woody Herman
8 1974 "A Musical America" with University of Texas Band
9 1975 "Tribute to Duke Ellington" with Mercer Ellington and Grambling University Bands
10 1976 "200 Years and Just a Baby" Tribute to America's Bicentennial
11 1977 "It's a Small World" including crowd participation for first time with spectators waving colored placard on cue
12 1978 "From Paris to the Paris of America" with Tyler Apache Belles, Pete Fountain and Al Hirt
13 1979 "Super Bowl XIII Carnival" Salute to the Caribbean with Ken Hamilton and various Caribbean bands
14 1980 "A Salute to the Big Band Era" with Up with People
15 1981 "A Mardi Gras Festival"
16 1982 "A Salute to the 60's and Motown"
17 1983 "KaleidoSUPERscope" (a kaleidoscope of color and sound)
18 1984 "Super Bowl XVIII's Salute to the Superstars of the Silver Screen"
19 1985 "A World of Children's Dreams"
20 1986 "Beat of the Future"
21 1987 "Salute to Hollywood's 100th Anniversary"
22 1988 "Something Grand" featuring 88 grand pianos, the Rockettes and Chubby Checker
23 1989 "Be Bop Bamboozled" featuring 3-D effects
24 1990 "Salute to New Orleans" and 40th Anniversary of Peanuts' characters, featuring trumpeter Pete Fountain, Doug Kershaw and Irma Thomas
25 1991 "A Small World Salute to 25 Years of the Super Bowl" featuring New Kids on the Block
26 1992 "Winter Magic" including a salute to the winter season and the winter Olympics featuring Gloria Estefan, Brian Boitano and Dorothy Hamill
27 1993 "Heal the World" featuring Michael Jackson
28 1994 "Rockin Country Sunday" featuring Clint Black, Tanya Tucker, Travis Tritt, Wynonna and Naomi Judd
29 1995 "Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye" featuring Tony Bennett, Patti LaBelle, Arturo Sandoval and Miami Sound Machine
30 1996 Diana Ross
31 1997 "Blues Brothers Bash" featuring Dan Aykroyd, John Goodman, James Belushi, James Brown and ZZ Top
32 1998 "A Tribute to Motown's 40th Anniversary" including Boyz II Men, Smokey Robinson, Queen Latifah, Martha Reeves and The Temptations
33 1999 "Celebration of Soul, Salsa and Swing" featuring Stevie Wonder, Gloria Estefan, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Savion Glover
34 2000 "A Tapestry of Nations" featuring Phil Collins, Christina Aguilera, Enrique Iglesias, and Toni Braxton
35 2001 "The Kings of Rock and Pop" featuring Aerosmith, *N'SYNC, Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige and Nelly
36 2002 U2
37 2003 Shania Twain, No Doubt and Sting
38 2004 Janet Jackson, Kid Rock, P. Diddy, Nelly and Justin Timberlake
39 2005 Paul McCartney
40 2006 The Rolling Stones
41 2007 Prince
42 2008 Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
43 2009 Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
44 2010 The Who
45 2011 The Black Eyed Peas, Usher and Slash
46 2012 Madonna with guests Cee Lo Green, LMFAO, M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj
47 2013 Beyonce with guests Destiny's Child
48 2014 Bruno Mars with guests Red Hot Chili Peppers
49 2015 Katy Perry with guests Missy Elliott and Lenny Kravitz
50 2016 Coldplay with guests Beyonce and Bruno Mars
51 2017 Lady Gaga
52 2018 Justin Timberlake
53 2019 Maroon 5 with guests Travis Scott and Big Boi
54 2020 Jennifer Lopez and Shakira
55 2021 The Weeknd
56 2022 Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige
57 2023 Rihanna
58 2024 Usher with guest H.E.R.
59 2025 Kendrick Lamar with guest SZA