Getty Pepsi Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show Performers Jennifer Lopez and Shakira hold a press conference at the Hilton Miami Downtown January 30, 2020 in Miami.
The 2020 Super Bowl halftime show will star Jennifer Lopez and Shakira in the first-ever halftime performance headlined by two Latina performers. Super Bowl LIV is on FOX on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2020, at 6:30 p.m. ET. The halftime show should start between 8 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. ET.
Performing at the Super Bowl halftime show is a dream come true for Jennifer Lopez, as she recently said she’s been dreaming of one day taking the stage since Super Bowl XXX in 1996 when she saw Diana Ross “fly off into the sky.”
Shakira shares the sentiment and is honored to be sharing the stage with Lopez. She is especially happy because it will be a strong show of representation for Latinos and Latinas from the U.S. and all over the world. It also takes place on Shakira’s birthday.
This year’s performers are the first that have been selected since the NFL announced a partnership with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation. The partnership was to help produce the entertainment at the Super Bowl and other prominent N.F.L. events and support the league’s social activism campaign, Inspire Change.
Before this year, only one Latin artist has headlined the Super Bowl. Gloria Estefan headlined in both 1992 and 1999. Enrique Iglesias guest-performed in 2000, but he was not the main event.
What to Expect at Half Time
Usually, the Super Bowl has one headliner and a featured guest. Last year, the halftime show was headlined by Maroon 5 with special guests Big Boi and Travis Scott. This year, expect special guests that have Latin roots.
It’s also possible that there will be a tribute to Kobe Bryant at the halftime show. The NBA legend died a week before the Super Bowl, and the sports world has been grieving since. The Super Bowl will be the first chance that any N.F.L. players are able to honor Bryant at one of their games.
A source told Billboard that the stage design for the show will draw inspiration from women’s empowerment and Latin culture in order to reflect Miami, where the game takes place.
“I think Latinos are going through a difficult time in the US right now, and I think it’s very important for us to convey a message of unity and also to show what a relevant force the Latino community is in this country, how much we have to offer, our idiosyncrasies, our culture that is so diverse,” Shakira said at a press conference on Thursday. “I think that JLo and I are here redefining paradigms about age, about race, about background. It doesn’t really matter where you are from, how old you are or where you come from. What matters is the message, what you have to say. We’re here, and we have a lot to say.
Who Turned Down the Halftime Show?
The Super Bowl may be the largest sporting event of the year, but it has seen more than its fair share of controversy in the past few years, leading to a number of celebrities turning down the opportunity to perform on that large of a stage.
This year, Pink turned the offer down. She pointed to the scrutiny that often hits artists who chose to perform at the halftime show, and she emphasized her support for Colin Kaepernick, who took a knee during the performance of the National Anthem during N.F.L. games to protest police brutality. The mother of two said she would have taken a knee in solidarity if she had chosen to perform.
“I’d probably take a knee and get carried out,” she told Billboard.
Other artists to famously turn down performing at the Super Bowl include Adele, Rihanna, Jay-Z and Cardi B.
READ NEXT: Has J.Lo Ever Performed at the Super Bowl?