Taylor Swift Explains Why She Won’t Perform at the Super Bowl—At Least for Now

Taylor Swift attends the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 2, 2025. Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Pop superstar Taylor Swift says she’s not planning to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show anytime soon—though it’s not for the reason many fans may think.

During an Oct. 6 appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” Swift addressed recent speculation that she had declined to headline the NFL’s biggest event. The 14-time Grammy winner clarified that no formal offer was made and dismissed circulating rumors that she turned down the opportunity over performance footage ownership.

“No, no, no,” Swift said, denying claims that she refused the show for business reasons. Instead, she explained that her focus during football season remains entirely on her fiancé, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

“I am in love with a guy who does that sport on that actual field,” Swift said. “That is violent chess. That is gladiators without swords. That is dangerous.”

“The whole season, I am locked in on what that man is doing on the field,” she added.

Swift, who is promoting her new album “The Life of a Showgirl” that sold a record breaking 2.7 million copies on its first day, said she and her team have had friendly, informal conversations over the years with Roc Nation—the company founded by Jay-Z that produces the Super Bowl halftime show alongside the NFL and Apple Music.

“Jay-Z has always been very good to me,” she said. “Our teams are really close. They sometimes will call and say, ‘How does she feel about the Super Bowl?’” She adds that the call wasn’t considered an “official offer” or “conference room conversation.”

The singer joked about the idea of balancing her partner’s intense game schedule with her own performance planning. “Can you imagine if he’s out there every single week putting his life on the line, doing this very dangerous, very high-pressure, high-intensity sport, and I’m like, ‘I wonder what my choreo should be?’” she said with a laugh.

Swift emphasized that her decision not to pursue the halftime stage for now has nothing to do with Kelce’s preferences. “Also, this has nothing to do with Travis,” she said. “He would love for me to do it. I’m just too locked in.”

While Swift is currently focused on her relationship and music career, the NFL has already named its next halftime headliner. The league announced that Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny will perform at Super Bowl LX, scheduled for Feb. 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.