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

Feb 11 , 2022

Prince, Beyonce, The Weeknd and Lady Gaga have been among the Super Bowl half-time show’s costliest performances. Photos: AP, Reuters, Givenchy

Ahead of Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem and Mary J Blige performing at Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles, we take a look back at the most expensive half-time shows ever

The artists themselves are not paid for the performance, but the exposure can boost their future earnings – with some going well over their reported budgets from NFL

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.

1. The Weeknd (2021) – US$17 million

The Weeknd performs in front of fans during the half-time show for Super Bowl LV in 2021. Photo: TNS

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

Singers Shakira and Jennifer Lopez perform during the Pepsi Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show at Hard Rock Stadium, in 2020. Photo: AFP

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.