Super Bowl 59 has finally arrived, with all eyes on the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs.
But another major player will be featured on football’s biggest stage Sunday night in New Orleans, Louisiana: Kendrick Lamar.
The 22-time Grammy winner is headlining the Super Bowl’s Apple Music Halftime Show on Feb. 9 at Caesars Superdome, with fans expecting to hear their favorite hits and see special guests appearances.
But what time is the halftime show expected to start? Here’s what to know about this year’s Super Bowl halftime show.
Who’s performing at the Super Bowl halftime show?
Kendrick Lamar will be headlining the Super Bowl halftime show, marking the first time a solo hip-hop artist is performing at the big game.
Though Sunday night will be Lamar’s first time as the headlining act, he has previously performed during the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show alongside icons like Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Mary J. Blige, among others.
Who will Kendrick Lamar bring out during his halftime show?
After announcing in September that he would be taking the stage at halftime, Lamar revealed SZA as his special guest in a Jan. 23 Instagram post.
The two are fresh off announcing their joint Grand National Tour, which kicks off in April. Lamar and SZA have collaborated on a number of songs over the years, including “All The Stars,” “luther” and “30 for 30.”
Though Lamar hasn’t officially announced any additional guests set to join him on stage, fans have some predictions based on the location of the game, the rapper’s discography and past performances.
With Taylor Swift expected to be at the game, cheering on boyfriend and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, the singer could reunite with Lamar for their 2015 rendition of “Bad Blood.” Swift was also a visible supporter of Lamar at the 2025 Grammys, when he beat her out for record of the year.
While it’s likely the internet might break if he brings Swift out during his halftime performance, there’s one other star that could similarly shatter the minds of music fans everywhere if Lamar brings her out: Beyoncé. If you recall, the two collaborated on the track “Freedom” and “AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM” remix. Lamar previously joined Queen Bey on her Renaissance World Tour in September 2023.
Coming off the Grammys buzz, there’s a world where Lamar could feature recently minted new artist of the year Grammy winner, Doechii, in his performance. He’s previously called the rapper the “hardest out” and has collaborated on a short film with her.
Lamar has been known to bring his younger cousin, rapper Baby Keem, onstage for both full sets and cameos. The two would likely join forces for “Family Ties.”
Lil Wayne would also be an obvious choice for Lamar, given the Super Bowl is taking place in Weezy’s hometown of New Orleans and they could perform 2018 hit “Mona Lisa.” But, since Wayne felt some ways about being overlooked for the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show, his appearance might be a long shot.
When is the Super Bowl halftime show?
Officially, there’s not a set start time for the Super Bowl halftime show, but there are clues to know when it will start. Let’s break it down.
The game is comprised of four 15-minute quarters. Taking in account the breaks between plays, pausing for calls, time between quarters and commercial breaks, the entire Super Bowl typically lasts about three and half hours.
This means fans can expect the midpoint or halftime to be about 90 minutes into the game. In Sunday’s case, with a 6:30 p.m. ET kickoff, halftime will likely be around 8-8:30 p.m. ET. So if you are only tuning in for Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show, then be ready to tune in around 8:30 p.m. ET the latest.
How to watch the Super Bowl halftime show
The Super Bowl will be broadcast live on FOX and will be available for streaming on the FOX Sports app, the NFL app, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV and FuboTV.
The game will also be available for free with Tubi, which is owned by the Fox Corporation. The Tubi app is available on various streaming devices, smart TVs and mobile phones.
Will Kendrick Lamar perform ‘Not Like Us’ during the Super Bowl halftime show?
“Not Like Us,” Lamar’s diss track heard around the country, was the rapper’s biggest song of 2024, winning him five Grammy Awards.
Leading up to this year’s halftime show, fans are wondering if and when Lamar would feature the song, which directly calls out his collaborator-turned-rival, Drake.
After its massive success, the song would be a natural choice to include in Lamar’s setlist. However, Drake sued Lamar in January for defamation and harassment over the song. Though Lamar would not be sued for singing the track, the NFL could face legal repercussions.
“Not Like Us” has reached 1 billion streams and took home Grammy wins in all categories for which it was nominated, including, song of the year, record of the year, best rap song, best rap performance, and best music video.
