Netflix said on Tuesday, 20 October, that U2 will headline the halftime show of the first NFL game played on the eve of Thanksgiving. The Los Angeles Rams host the Green Bay Packers at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Wednesday, 25 November, with kickoff set for 8 p.m. ET. Netflix will stream the matchup live, and the band's performance is scheduled for the break. For viewers in mainland Spain the broadcast starts at 00:00 on 26 November, with kickoff at 2:00. The NFL promoted the booking on X:
“One of the biggest bands on the planet. One of the biggest stages in sports.”
Netflix has booked a headline act for halftime of its NFL holiday broadcasts in 2024 and 2025. Beyoncé performed at halftime of the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans game on Christmas Day 2024, in a show nominated for four Emmy awards. Snoop Dogg took the stage on Christmas Day 2025 during the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings game. Jesse Collins Entertainment is producing the U2 set. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said in a statement:
“There's a reason U2 has headlined stadiums for decades: They don't just perform, they deliver iconic moments audiences remember forever.”
U2 formed in Dublin in 1976, so 2026 marks 50 years since the band began. The group is returning to NFL halftime for the first time since Super Bowl XXXVI in February 2002, a few months after the 11 September attacks, when its set paid tribute to the victims. The Athletic ranked that performance second among Super Bowl halftime shows in NFL history, according to The New York Times. The Rams also played in that game, against the New England Patriots in New Orleans. In September the band marked its anniversary with pop-up shows around Dublin, including a set at its old school, Mount Temple, and one on the balcony of Bewley's on Grafton Street.
The new album, Carnaval de Luz, is the band's 16th studio album. TheJournal.ie and RTE give its release date as 13 November, while The New York Times gives 16 November. It is the first album of original material since Songs of Experience in 2017, and it was announced in September. The world tour The Greatest Show on Earth opens in Mexico City on 23 February 2027, with Beck as support act. Dates for Europe and North America are still to be announced, and plans for a homecoming show in Ireland are being worked out.
Puck News reported, citing sources, that Jay-Z picked himself to headline the 2027 Super Bowl halftime show. According to those sources, he judged himself a more compelling choice than Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber, who were believed to be the frontrunners. Roc Nation, his label, signed a 2019 agreement with the NFL to curate and produce the halftime show. The report is not an NFL announcement, and the NFL's U2 announcement is a separate booking for the Thanksgiving Eve game.
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Netflix will stream the Los Angeles Rams against the Green Bay Packers at SoFi Stadium on 25 November, with U2 performing at halftime and kickoff at 8 p.m. ET.
AI text based on reports by TheJournal.ie, europa press, La Repubblica.it and other publishers. Published .