The 6 most expensive Super Bowl half-time shows ever – Prince, Beyoncé and J. Lo’s gigs cost up to US$1 million per minute while The Weeknd spent US$7 million of his own money
Super Bowl LVI takes place in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 13 (local time), and aside from the highly anticipated commercials that often earn A-listers millions to appear in, all eyes will be on the half-time show, too. Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Dr Dre and Mary J Blige will be gracing the stage for a collaboration that we surely won’t forget for a long time.
While half-time shows from the likes of Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake have remained etched in our memories for being controversial, some shows cost as much as $US 1 million per minute.
Super Bowl half-time show performers are not paid, but they can see music sales and streaming popularity shoot up immediately as a result of such exposure, so the expense is worth it.
Here we take a look back at the most eye-wateringly expensive Super Bowl half-time shows in history.
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1. The Weeknd (2021) – US$17 million
Headlining the Super Bowl half-time show is such a coveted gig that last year The Weeknd used US$7 million of his own money to fund his incredible production. This was on top of the estimated US$10 million the NFL is believed to allow for a halftime show budget.
2. Jennifer Lopez and Shakira (2020) – US$13 million
Colombian singer Shakira teamed up with her Bronx-born counterpart Jennifer Lopez for 25 minutes on stage at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. With plenty of dancers and a huge production behind them, the Spanish-speaking stars performed separate hits and did a duet. The performance was even sweeter as Lopez’s 11-year-old daughter Emme Muniz sang too.
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3. Prince (2007) – US$12 million
The late Purple Rain singer’s set – performed in a downpour – is widely considered the best Super Bowl half-time performance in history. He belted out Let’s Go Crazy and even covered Queen’s We Will Rock You. The exact cost of the show is unknown, but the Grunge.com website estimated that other shows have cost US$1 million per minute.
4. Aerosmith and NSync (2001) – US$11 million
In a show dubbed the “Kings of Rock and Pop”, the rockers and boy band brought many more genres to the table. Special guests in this firework-filled show included Britney Spears, rapper Nelly and R&B singer Mary J Blige – who is back performing this year.
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5. Lady Gaga (2017) – US$10 million
The music icon made a spectacular arrival for her performance at the NRG Arena in Houston, Texas – entering from the roof on a gold trapeze. It’s believed the difficulty of the stunt and the many drones involved hiked up the cost of producing the show.
6. Beyoncé (2013) – US$600,000
Beyoncé always knows how to put on a show and even gatecrashed the Super Bowl 50 halftime show in 2016 with Coldplay and Bruno Mars. Her big solo gig nine years ago was the least costly of this bunch. The Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) singer got plenty of attention for her LED lights and fire, but that was overshadowed by her onstage reunion with former Destiny’s Child bandmates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. The rest of the budget went to practical costs such as lodgings for her backup dancers.
