The Definitive Guide: What Time Is The Super Bowl Halftime Show (And Why It Changes)

The Super Bowl Halftime Show is arguably the most-watched musical event of the year, and if you’re only tuning in for the performance, you need to know the exact timing. As of today, December 13, 2025, the next major performance is for Super Bowl LX, and while the kickoff time is set, the halftime start is an estimate. The highly-anticipated show, headlined by global superstar Bad Bunny, is expected to begin between 8:00 PM ET and 8:30 PM ET on Sunday, February 8, 2026, though the exact minute depends entirely on the flow of the first half of the game.

The confusion around the start time stems from the fact that the halftime intermission is an extended event, not a fixed clock-start like the game itself. The National Football League (NFL) championship game, Super Bowl LX, is scheduled to kick off at 6:30 p.m. ET. This means the first two quarters will run for approximately 90 minutes of real-world time before the famous 30-minute intermission begins. Our guide breaks down the full timeline, the performers, and the key details you need to know to catch every moment of the Apple Music Halftime Show.

The Definitive Answer: When Does the Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Start?

The most current and relevant event is Super Bowl LX, which will be played on Sunday, February 8, 2026, at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The game's official kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time (ET), which corresponds to 3:30 p.m. Pacific Time (PT) in the host city.

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• Game Kickoff Time: 6:30 PM ET
• Estimated Halftime Show Start Time: 8:00 PM ET – 8:30 PM ET
• Headlining Performer: Bad Bunny
• Location: Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California

To calculate the estimated start of the halftime show, you must factor in the duration of the first two quarters of the football game. While each quarter is 15 minutes of game clock, the real-world time is significantly longer due to stoppages, penalties, incomplete passes, and commercial breaks. The first half of a typical Super Bowl game usually takes between 90 minutes and two hours to complete. Therefore, if the game starts at 6:30 PM ET, the second quarter will likely end around 8:00 PM ET, with the Halftime Show beginning shortly thereafter.

The headliner for the 2026 show is global music sensation Bad Bunny (Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio), marking a historic moment for Latin music on the world's biggest stage. Pregame performances will feature artists like Charlie Puth, Brandi Carlile, and Coco Jones, who will perform before the 6:30 PM ET kickoff.

The Halftime Show Timeline: A Minute-by-Minute Breakdown of the Intermission

Unlike a standard NFL game, which has a 12-minute halftime break, the Super Bowl features an extended intermission to accommodate the massive production of the musical performance. This extended break is the key to understanding the timing.

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Halftime Intermission Duration

The Super Bowl halftime intermission typically lasts for 30 minutes, though sometimes it can run slightly longer. This 30-minute window must account for several critical logistical steps:

• Stage Setup: A massive crew must rapidly assemble the intricate stage on the field, a process that takes several minutes.
• The Performance: The musical act itself, such as Bad Bunny's upcoming show, is generally a tight 12 to 15 minutes. This is the core reason people tune in, featuring a medley of the artist’s greatest hits.
• Stage Teardown: Immediately after the final song, the crew must quickly dismantle and remove the entire stage before the second half of the football game can resume.

Because the performance is only a fraction of the total intermission, viewers who tune in exactly at the half-hour mark might miss the beginning. The most reliable way to ensure you catch the start is to begin watching the game about 90 minutes after kickoff, or simply tune in for the entire first half. The sheer scale of the Halftime Show Production requires this extended time, turning a brief football break into a global entertainment spectacle.

A Look Back: The Kendrick Lamar and SZA Super Bowl LIX Performance

To appreciate the magnitude of the Super Bowl Halftime Show, it helps to look at the most recent past event. Super Bowl LIX (59), which took place on February 9, 2025, in New Orleans, Louisiana, featured a critically acclaimed performance by hip-hop icon Kendrick Lamar, who was joined by R&B star SZA.

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Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Details

The LIX performance serves as a perfect case study for the timing of the event. With a 6:30 PM ET kickoff, the first half concluded right on schedule, leading to the highly anticipated show. The performance was a masterclass in stage presence and musical curation, solidifying the Super Bowl Halftime Show's reputation as a platform for diverse and influential artists.

The estimated start time for the Kendrick Lamar and SZA performance was right in the sweet spot of 8:00 PM ET to 8:30 PM ET, aligning with the typical two-hour runtime of the first half. Fans who followed the game closely knew exactly when to expect the show, proving that the kickoff time is the most important piece of data for calculating the halftime start. The selection of Kendrick Lamar, a Pulitzer Prize winner, and SZA, a multi-Grammy winner, demonstrated the NFL's continued commitment to featuring artists at the peak of their global influence.

Halftime Show Entities and Topical Authority: Beyond the Music

The Super Bowl Halftime Show is more than just a concert; it is a complex production involving numerous key entities and stakeholders. Understanding these adds depth to the overall viewing experience and topical authority on the subject:

• The NFL (National Football League): The governing body that organizes the event.
• Apple Music: The current sponsor of the Halftime Show, taking over from Pepsi.
• Roc Nation: The entertainment company founded by Jay-Z, which serves as the strategic entertainment advisor and producer for the Halftime Show.
• DPS (Diversified Production Services): The production company responsible for the technical execution and logistics of the show.
• Levi's Stadium: The host venue for Super Bowl LX in 2026.
• Caesars Superdome: The host venue for Super Bowl LIX in 2025.
• Super Bowl LIX: The 2025 game, featuring Kendrick Lamar and SZA.
• Super Bowl LX: The upcoming 2026 game, featuring Bad Bunny.
• Bad Bunny (Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio): The 2026 headliner.
• Kendrick Lamar: The 2025 headliner.
• SZA: The 2025 guest performer.
• Charlie Puth, Brandi Carlile, Coco Jones: Confirmed pregame performers for Super Bowl LX.
• Halftime Show Production: The massive logistical effort to set up and tear down the stage.
• Halftime Intermission: The official 30-minute break.
• Kickoff Time: The official start of the game (6:30 PM ET).
• Eastern Time (ET): The primary time zone for broadcast.
• Pacific Time (PT): The local time zone for the 2026 game (3:30 PM PT kickoff).
• Super Bowl Logistics: The coordination of security, broadcast, and performance elements.
• NFL Championship: The official title of the game.
• Television Viewership: The massive global audience that tunes in for the event.

In summary, the question of "what time is the halftime show" is best answered with an estimate tied directly to the game's official start. For the next big performance—the Bad Bunny Halftime Show at Super Bowl LX—plan to be settled in front of your screen between 8:00 PM ET and 8:30 PM ET on February 8, 2026, to guarantee you don't miss the 12-to-15 minutes of musical history.