The Most Extravagant Super Bowl Halftime Shows Of All Time

There is no doubt that performing at the Super Bowl halftime show is a career-defining moment for music artists, with each performance being just as outstanding as the last, with so many complicated elements involved in the process of creating these special performances. So we’ve compiled a list of some of the most extravagant Super Bowl halftime performances of all time and how much they cost!

The Weekend – 2021

Abel Tesfaye, professionally known as The Weekend, went viral for his performance at the 2021 Super Bowl, with glitter suits as well as his very own maze. Abel was forced to perform in the stands as a result of the pandemic, but his performance ensured that this Super Bowl was certainly one to remember.

The cost for this performance came in at a cool $17 million, with an average viewership of 91.6 million people tuning in to see the Canadian perform, generating an ad revenue of $545 million!

Prince – 2007

This performance from Prince will go down as arguably one of his best, and possibly even the best halftime show performance of all time. Prince performed some absolute classics, namely Let’s Go Crazy, as well as a crowd stirring performance of Queen’s We Will Rock You.

The cost of this performance was reportedly close to $12 million, which led to an average viewership of 93.2 million.

Jennifer Lopez And Shakira – 2020

The culmination of two of the greatest pop stars today, this Latina combination didn’t hold back during their halftime show performance in 2020, they performed both as a duet, and solo, with an array of dancers and costumes on display, and the show was quite the spectacle.

Behind this spectacular performance however, was a cost of $13 million. This cost granted a high reward, however, with an average viewership of 101 million people, and an ad revenue of $450 million, so much like NFL betting lines, the reward is often worth the risk!

Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Mary J Blige, Kendrick Lamar – 2022

The 2022 Super Bowl halftime performance was one that’s stuck in the mind of anyone who tuned in to watch it, this collision of millennial nostalgia with the inclusion of one of this generation’s best rappers in the form of Kendrick Lamar made this performance an incredible success. The performance featured a lot of stage changes and complex transitions which seemed effortless throughout.

It’s no surprise then that the initial budget for this show was $13 million, but according to Dr. Dre, he added $7 million of his own money, which rounds the total cost up to a staggering $20 million!

Aerosmith And Nsync – 2001

A collaboration between the legendary Aerosmith and Nsync has earnt this performance the title of “Kings of Pop and Rock”, which is no surprise, this performance had a star-studded guest list, with Nelly, Britney Spears, and Mary J Blige all making appearances in this pyrotechnic filled performance.

With the number of fireworks used in this explosive performance, the $11 million price tag begins to make a lot more sense!

Beyonce – 2013

Never one to falter in the spotlight, Beyonce’s Super Bowl halftime show was one that made quite the impression, despite its small budget! But whilst the budget for this performance is one of the smallest that the Super Bowl has seen in recent years, Beyonce’s show was laced with extravagance throughout, with fire, LED lighting, backup dancers, as well as a reunion with Destiny’s Child bandmates Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland.

The budget for this show was only an estimated $500,000, but unlike a lot of the other performances, most of the budget for this show went towards the more practical aspect of the show, such as the dancers’ accommodations, and the effects used throughout the show.

Lady Gaga – 2017

Arguably the most extravagant artist of our time, the queen of being extra entered her performance in Houston, Texas via a gold trapeze, which is certainly one hell of a way to kick off a show. Adorned in an incredible sparkling bodysuit with matching boots, the singer’s performance was the embodiment of extravagance and will go down in history as one of the best performances there has been!

But a performance like this comes at a great cost, and the Born This Way singer’s performance came in at a whopping $10 million! With much of this budget going towards the cost of the initial stunt, as well as the numerous amount of drones that were involved in the performance, which apparently made it cost a lot more than it would have otherwise!

Conclusion:

In conclusion, it takes a lot for a Super Bowl show to be considered extravagant, and as each year passes the bar is being repeatedly set higher and higher, with artists and organizers having to spend more than ever to try and top last year’s show. So whilst some of the performances of the past have been particularly extravagant, it is perhaps best to assume that some of the most extravagant performances are in fact, yet to come.