The buzz surrounding Bad Bunny’s historic Super Bowl halftime show has barely died down, yet rumors are already beginning to swirl over who could headline next year’s big game.
Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, better known as Bad Bunny, was joined by Lady Gaga, Pedro Pascal, Ricky Martin, Jessica Alba, Karol G and Cardi B as he headlined the Super Bowl LX halftime show last weekend.
Following the all-Spanish celebration of Latin and Hispanic culture, fans are already questioning which famous faces could follow in the Puerto Rican’s footsteps – and one big name in particular is on the tip of everyone’s tongue, even the NFL’s.
Taylor Swift has long been at the top of the league’s most wanted list, especially as her ties to the NFL deepened amid her romance with Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce, an insider revealed to the Daily Mail.
However, despite the high demand for the pop sensation to take her star power to football’s biggest stage, locking her down may not prove to be so easy.
‘Taylor is always someone the NFL wants for the halftime show, but it will be her decision – and her decision only – whether she ever wants to do it and when she would like to do it,’ the source said.
Jay-Z’s entertainment company Roc Nation, who produced the halftime show, and Apple Music, who sponsor the performance, begin to whittle down their top choices around May or June as they begin to approach their targeted artists, the insider explained.
Organizers aim to hold final negotiations around July with the view to announcing the performer in November, roughly two months after the NFL season has kicked off.
But the months of careful planning could swiftly go out of the window should a certain hitmaker decide she wants to step onto the iconic football field stage.
‘Everyone will drop what they are doing and whoever they have asked if Taylor wants to do it. If she wants to do it, she will do it,’ the source claimed. ‘It is as simple as that. But there are a handful of reasons she will not be doing it next year.’
They continued: ‘The reason that Taylor isn’t interested in doing it yet is because, for one, it falls on Valentine’s Day. She would only like to be at the game next year if Travis is playing in it. Otherwise she will be a recent newlywed and would rather enjoy time with him than to perform on a day meant for love.
‘If she were to also do it in the future, she would want Travis to be retired.’
The source continued: ‘Taylor also doesn’t need to do it, but she knows that it would be a great thing for her legacy that is already concrete. But she has a few other milestones that she wants to achieve before doing the Super Bowl – marriage, family and all the important things in life.’
Swift has attended two of the last three Super Bowls with Kelce and the Chiefs making it to the big game in 2024 and 2025, cheering on her NFL beau when they won in Las Vegas and commiserating with him when they lost in New Orleans last year.
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Kansas City failed to make it to their sixth Super Bowl in seven years, when they missed out on the NFL playoffs amid a challenging season. Instead, Kelce has been left deliberating his future in the league as he weighs up retirement.
Swift may be holding on until her fiancé has officially hung up his cleats before she steps onto the Super Bowl stage, but when that may be remains a mystery.
Meanwhile, the venue, should she ever decide to perform, also remains in doubt. While next year’s Super Bowl is set for SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on February 14, beyond that only the next two seasons have been penciled in.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the home of the Atlanta Falcons, is slated to host in 2028, while Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium, the site of the Chiefs’ 2024 victory, is expected to be locked in for the following year during the NFL league meetings in a few months’ time.
Yet, neither of the venues would be Swift’s dream setting. The Opalite hitmaker is reportedly holding out for somewhere closer to home.
‘She would be interested in doing it in a place like Nashville if they ever get a Super Bowl,’ the insider said of Swift, who got her big break in Music City after moving there at age 14.
‘The likelihood of that happening is pretty good as the Titans are meant to have a new stadium completed in 2027. The NFL hasn’t announced where the Super Bowl will be held after the next two but Nashville is well-poised and ready to receive one and she would like to do it there.’
That leaves Roc Nation and the league scrambling to find their headliner for the upcoming season. A few big stars have already thrown their names into the ring.
‘The Backstreet Boys have thrown their name in the mix and online bettors have said Miley Cyrus is the frontrunner,’ the source revealed.
90s heartthrobs, Backstreet Boys, have appeared in multiple Super Bowl commercials over the years.
Most recently, the boy band, who are in the middle of their residency at Las Vegas’ Sphere, teased a ‘larger-than-life’ comeback for T-Mobile’s Super Bowl LX campaign.
‘It is fair to say that a female-focused halftime show will be welcomed next year, but as much as they are going to be considered, Miley and Backstreet Boys aren’t the frontrunners.’
Swift, whose Eras Tour grossed over $2 billion in ticket sales, is said to be the ‘dream,’ while every other artist is in ‘second place.’
Jay-Z is reportedly on the hunt for ‘younger, more diverse, ethnic acts’ following Bad Bunny’s impact.
‘Instead of doing it himself or choosing a legacy band like Metallica, AC/DC or Guns N’ Roses, he would like to get someone to tap into global impact over appeasing US audiences,’ the insider explained to the Daily Mail. ‘There has been thought for next year to have a few people do it over just one band and there has been talk of having a K-Pop flavor as well.’
The announcement of Bad Bunny’s halftime show was met with fierce backlash last fall as conservative fans, led by Donald Trump, protested the selection of the rapper amid his criticism of MAGA’s immigration policies.
And while Bad Bunny performed, millions of fans at home tuned into Turning Point USA’s alternative halftime show on YouTube, headlined by Kid Rock, highlighting the cultural divide surrounding the choice of headliner.
But there is ‘not a chance in hell’ that Kid Rock ever headlines the real deal. The country rock artist was part of the scandal-hit 2004 show when Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake headlined but, while artists have made repeat appearances at the Super Bowl, he will not be one of them.
‘Kid Rock is not going to be asked or will do it next year – that is as much of a 100 percent guarantee as ever,’ the insider said.
