When Did Kendrick Lamar Perform At The NFL Super Bowl? Find Out
In the upcoming Super Bowl 59 between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, a rematch of Super Bowl 57, Kendrick Lamar, one of the most celebrated hip-hop artists of all time, will perform during the halftime show. The performance is expected to begin around 8:00–8:30 p.m. ET, following the first half of the game. Since NFL quarters do not have a fixed duration, fans tuning in just for Lamar’s performance should start watching by 7:45 p.m. ET to avoid missing it.
Fox will broadcast the event live, and viewers can stream it on Fubo, Tubi, DirecTV Stream, Sling TV, YouTube TV, and Hulu with Live TV. Lamar’s history of delivering visually striking and socially conscious performances leads many to expect his 2025 Super Bowl halftime show to be one of the most talked-about in recent years.
However, this won’t be his first Super Bowl halftime appearance. He has already performed as part of the show before. Let’s take a look at his past Super Bowl performance and essential details about his upcoming show.
Super Bowl LVI (2022) – A Landmark Hip-Hop Performance
Kendrick Lamar’s first Super Bowl performance took place on February 13, 2022, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, as part of Super Bowl LVI. The halftime show, produced by Jesse Collins and Roc Nation, featured Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar, with guest appearances from 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak. This performance made history as the first-ever Super Bowl halftime show centered entirely around hip-hop music. Pepsi sponsored the Super Bowl halftime show for the last time before Apple Music took over in 2023.
The viewership numbers were staggering, with 103.4 million viewers tuning in during the halftime show, surpassing the game’s average audience of 101.1 million. Following the performance, Lamar’s hit song “Alright” saw a 250% increase in streams on Spotify, while other featured artists also experienced massive boosts in streaming numbers. Critics praised the nostalgic West Coast hip-hop theme, and Rolling Stone ranked the show the fourth-best Super Bowl halftime performance of all time. The show went on to win three Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Variety Special (Live).
Super Bowl LIX (2025) – Kendrick Lamar Returns As Headliner
Lamar is set to return to the Super Bowl stage as the headline performer for Super Bowl LIX, taking place on February 9, 2025, at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. This will be his first time leading the halftime show after previously being a supporting act in 2022. SZA, a fellow Grammy-winning artist, will join him, adding an R&B element to the performance.
Lamar’s return is significant, as he is one of the most decorated hip-hop artists in history, with 17 Grammy wins out of 57 nominations—the third-most for a rapper, trailing only Jay-Z and Kanye West (24 wins each). His influence in hip-hop is undeniable, with five No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 and over 7.5 million albums sold in the U.S.. Fans can expect a high-energy performance featuring hits from his latest album, “GNX”, released in November 2024.
