Is Taylor Swift playing the Super Bowl halftime show in 2026? Because that’s what NFL CEO Roger Goodell seemed to imply during his appearance on the Today Show on September 3.…
“We would always love to have Taylor play. She is a special, special talent, and obviously she would be welcome at any time,” Goodell told hosts Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin while they were discussing Super Bowl 2026.
When Guthrie followed up to ask if anything was “in the works,” Goodell played coy, replying, “I can’t tell you anything about it.” Guthrie prodded further, to which Goodell acquiesced, “It’s a maybe.”
To reiterate, nothing has been confirmed so far, either by Swift herself or by Roc Nation, Jay Z’s entertainment company, which has been responsible for the Super Bowl halftime shows for the past six years. However, it was almost a year ago exactly that Kendrick Lamar was revealed as the 2025 Super Bowl halftime performer, so hopefully Swifties will find closure soon with an imminent announcement. And if it’s not Swift, godspeed to that performer, who will have to live up to what could have been the Taylor Swift Super Bowl halftime show.
Swift would be an easy choice for many reasons, chief among them being that her relationship with her fiancé Travis Kelce has made her a darling of the NFL. Of course, she’s more than qualified for the position too.
But why now? Why this game? Super Bowl LX will take place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on February 8, 2026, roughly four months after Swift’s next album, The Life of a Showgirl, will be released; if she has plans to tour for the album, there’s a chance she could already be in preparation mode. And 2026 will also mark the 20th anniversary of the release of her debut self-titled album. A retrospective of her work would make sense, even if it feels a little redundant after the Eras Tour.
Swift attended the 2024 and 2025 Super Bowls in a supportive girlfriend capacity, since Kelce played in back-to-back games. Even if she doesn’t perform, there’s a chance we might still see her in the stands if the Kansas City Chiefs, Kelce’s team, performs as well as in previous years. Though wouldn’t it be such Swiftian revenge if, after she was booed at the 2025 Super Bowl, she tore the house down with a stellar performance? Do it for the plot, Tay!
