Some people watch the Super Bowl for the football, some for the commercials and some for the star-studded musical halftime show, which has come a long way since the wholesome Up With People days. It’s always a superstar performer now, and it’s the closest thing we have to a national concert.Â
Here’s what to know and how to tune in to the Super Bowl 2025 halftime show.
Who’s playing the Super Bowl halftime show?
Influential musician and rapper and 17-time Grammy winner Kendrick Lamar (who’s the recipient of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music) will be taking the stage. Like the Chiefs and the Eagles matchup, he’s been here before. Lamar performed at the 2022 Super Bowl as part of a mega-show that also featured Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg and Mary J. Blige. That performance won a Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding variety special.
But this year, he’s taking center stage. With Lamar is his fellow Grammy winner SZA, who appeared on Lamar’s recent album, GNX. Lamar and SZA also performed the Oscar-nominated All the Stars, the lead single from the 2018 hit movie Black Panther.
What’s the song controversy with Drake?
Lamar reportedly plans to perform his 2024 song Not Like Us during the halftime show. It’s a diss track aimed at his musical rival Drake. Drake is suing record label Universal Music Group for defamation and harassment, alleging that the company helped to spread a “false and malicious” narrative about him via the song.
It’s not just some simple insults, either. Drake’s lawsuit alleges that UMG “approved, published and launched a campaign to create a viral hit out of a rap track that falsely accuses Drake of being a pedophile and calls for violent retribution against him.”
Who is singing the National Anthem?
The game is in Louisiana, and all the pre-game singers are from that state. Jon Batiste will sing the national anthem, Trombone Shorty and Lauren Daigle will sing America the Beautiful, and Ledisi will perform Lift Every Voice and Sing before the game.
How do I watch the Super Bowl?
The Super Bowl will be played on Sunday, Feb. 9, at 6:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. PT), in New Orleans.
The big game will be broadcast nationally on Fox. This year, for the first time, you’ll be able to watch the game on streaming service Tubi — for free and in 4K.Â
Read more: Super Bowl 2025: Date, Time, How to Watch Chiefs vs. Eagles for Free from Anywhere
Which teams are playing in the Super Bowl?
The Kansas City Chiefs, led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, are gunning for their third straight Super Bowl title. No other team has ever won three in a row, and some fans are hoping for the first-ever three-peat.
But the Chiefs will have to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles, looking for their second Super Bowl ever. The Chiefs beat the Eagles two years ago for the first of their back-to-back titles The Eagles beat Tom Brady’s New England Patriots when they won the Super Bowl in 2018 in Minneapolis.. Brady has since retired from football, and will be in the broadcast booth, calling the game for Fox.