Everything We Know About Kendrick Lamar’s Epic Super Bowl Halftime Show

The 2025 Super Bowl is setting the field for the rematch of the season — but it’s not just the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles viewers are looking forward to. Approximately 1.5 hours into its kick-off, the entirety of America (and the rest of the world) will be tuning in to the country’s biggest musical event: the Super Bowl Halftime Show. Grammy-winning, Pulitzer Prize-receiving, West Coast rap titan Kendrick Lamar is about to humble the music industry down (and one particular Canadian rapper) with his first-ever halftime show as headliner.

In between his sixth studio album “GNX” and his recent Grammy wins for his diss track of the summer, “Not Like Us,” the halftime show only further continues the roll Lamar has been on. While many attempt to speculate what his performance will entail, if there’s anything the world has learned about Lamar, especially in the past year, the rapper is a man of surprises. It’s a concert you don’t want to miss. Here’s everything you need to know about Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show.

When is the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show?

The 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show will be broadcast on FOX on Sunday, February 9, 2025. While the exact time of the show isn’t confirmed, it typically starts not long after the first half of the game ends.

Kick-off starts at 6:30 p.m. ET / 11:30 p.m. GMT and normally takes 1.5 hours. For those only watching for the halftime show, you can check in at approximately 7:45 p.m. ET / 12:45 a.m. GMT.

Is the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show Streaming Online?

Absolutely! Audiences can stream the halftime show on Tubi. Alternatively, you can stream it on the FOX Sports app.

WATCH ON TUBI

Who’s Performing at the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show?

Compton born and raised Lamar takes center stage at the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show. First, breaking into the scene as K. Dot, the teen MC, began his journey in the 2000s with his mixtapes, catching the attention of Dr. Dre. It was only in 2012 when Lamar caught onto audiences with his album “good kid, m.A.A.d City”, which went on to earn the rapper his first Grammy for the song “I”.

His following albums would, later on, garner the same prestigious accolades: “To Pimp A Butterfly” won Best Rap Album at the 2016 Grammys, “DAMN” broke the charts and the Internet thanks to the emblematic “HUMBLE,” and most recently, his 2024 diss track “Not Like Us,” a blow to Canadian rapper Drake, cementing Lamar’s place in the West Coast hip-hop community. The 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show marks the second time the artist would perform for the major football event and his first time headlining the show.

Joining Lamar is R&B songstress and frequent collaborator SZA, who most recently won a Grammy for Best R&B Song for her single “Saturn.” The artist got her big break thanks to her first full-length album “Ctrl”, followed by her most recent album “SOS”, which also enjoyed the same high level of success. Over the years, SZA has worked together with the likes of Rihanna and Doja Cat, and even Phoebe Bridgers, proving herself as a true artist’s artist.

Watch the Kendrick Lamar’s Halftime Show Trailer

The brief clip shows Lamar talking to someone on the phone, noting that “everything’s smooth on the field right now.” There’s a “the calm before the storm” vibe, with the rapper sounding calm and keeping his body in motion. But whether it’s football or the musical performances, nothing is ever serene at the Super Bowl. As the “Hey Now” bass line hits hard, Lamar’s co-performer SZA runs up behind him with a huge keg and dunks him from behind, signaling the frenetic, electrifying energy to be expected from the two this Sunday.

What Has Kendrick Lamar Said About his Super Bowl Halftime Show Performance?

Ahead of his upcoming Super Bowl Halftime Show, in a rare opportunity, the rapper sat down with Apple Music’s Nadeska and Ebro to chat about what Lamar’s been up to, and more importantly, his Super Bowl prep. Despite his many accomplishments over the decades, Lamar has never expected he’d be on football’s biggest stage in the first place.

“Did you ever think we’d be at the Super Bowl with this?”

“I wasn’t thinking about no Super Bowl for sure. We was thinking about the best verse and how we gonna split this $5 at Church’s Chicken or something like that. There were no Super Bowl. Going to the studio and getting meal. What I know is the passion I have now is still the passion I have then. And I think that carried on to the Super Bowl.”

When asked what to expect from his performance this Sunday, Lamar concisely answered, “storytelling.”

“I think I’ve always been very open about storytelling. Through all my catalog and my history of music and I’ve always had passion about bringing that on whatever stage I’m on. […] I like to always carry on that sense of make people listen but also see and think a little.”

If that’s not enough, check out Lamar’s interview with none other than Hollywood’s biggest young talent at the moment, Timothée Chalamet.

What Songs Are Kendrick Lamar Predicted to Perform?

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While no official setlist has been revealed to the public, there’s a good idea of what Lamar might be performing this Super Bowl Sunday. The most obvious choice would be his hit single “Not Like Us” — last summer’s diss track, which put the entire Internet into a frenzy. Having performed the song five times back-to-back at his pop-out concert, at this point, it would be a cardinal sin not to perform the song at the Super Bowl Halftime Show. Other possible songs include “HUMBLE” or “DNA” from his album “DAMN”, “Alright” or “King Kunta” from “To Pimp a Butterfly,”, and most likely “Money Trees” and “m.A.A.D City” from “good kid, m.A.A.d City”.

What Happened Between Drake and Kendrick Lamar?

Whether you’re a casual music listener or a die-hard hip-hop fan, there’s no escaping the Drake-Lamar discourse. Their very public feud goes all the way back to 2011. The two initially worked together; Lamar was featured on Drake’s song “Buried Alive Interlude” from his album “Take Care,” and their 2012 collaboration “Poetic Justice” on Lamar’s album “Good Kid, m.A.A.d City.” The first disses came in 2013, with Lamar taking a jab at Drake and other rappers to the tune of Big Sean’s “Control.” Although Lamar insists that the verse was nothing more than “friendly competition,” the two continue to fire back at each other over the years.

Things escalated in 2023 when Drake and rapper J. Cole released “First Person Shooter,” prompting Lamar to release “Like That” in 2024. Although Cole has backed down, Drake amped up his attacks with diss tracks “Push Ups” and “Taylor Made Freestyle.” Lamar returned the favor by dissing Drake in “Euphoria” on April 30 and “6:16 in LA”. But it was only until Drake’s “Family Matters” that things took a turn for the worse, with the rapper accusing Lamar of domestic abuse. It didn’t take long (20 minutes to be exact) for Lamar to release “Meet the Grahams” and accuse Drake of sexual predation. However, Lamar’s magnum opus, “Not Like Us,” took the cake, openly calling out Drake for grooming.

Who Were the Previous Halftime Show Performers?

Year

Performer

2025

Kendrick Lamar, with special guest SZA

2024

Usher with special guests Alicia Keys, Jermaine Dupri, H.E.R., will.i.am, Lil Jon, Ludacris

2023

Rihanna

2022

Eminem, Dr. Dre. Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige

2021

The Weeknd

2020

Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Emme Muniz

2019

Maroon 5, Travis Scott, Big Boi

2018

Justin Timberlake, The Tennessee Kids

2017

Lady Gaga

2016

Coldplay, Beyonce, Bruno Mars

2015

Katy Perry, Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott