The NFL might be preparing for one of its most unexpected halftime shows yet.
According to The New York Post, Adele is in discussions to headline the 2026 Super Bowl halftime performance in Santa Clara, California. While insiders confirm conversations are happening, sources also emphasize that nothing has been finalized.
The buzz around Adele comes as other big names are also being floated for the coveted slot. Taylor Swift, who has been a constant presence at Kansas City Chiefs games, has been widely speculated as a frontrunner.
Miley Cyrus, who has never performed on the Super Bowl stage, is another name in the mix.
Ultimately, the decision will fall to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, which has handled halftime show selections since 2019, in partnership with the NFL.
For Adele, this wouldn’t be the first time her name has been tied to the Super Bowl.
Back in 2016, she told fans in Los Angeles that she had turned down the opportunity to perform at the 2017 game. “First of all, I’m not doing the Super Bowl… I mean, that show is not about music. I can’t dance or anything like that. They were very kind, they did ask me, but I did say no,” she explained at the time.
Pepsi and the NFL later clarified that conversations had taken place, but no formal offer had been extended.
Still, Adele has shown her interest in the spectacle. She attended the 2023 Super Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, not for the game, but to see Rihanna’s halftime performance. “Last year I went, obviously I didn’t go for the football at all. I went to watch Rihanna,” she told her Las Vegas crowd in 2024. She added bluntly, “I’m going just for Rihanna. I don’t give a flying f***.”
Her fiancé, sports agent Rich Paul, has close ties within the NFL world, and Adele herself has defended fellow superstar Swift against criticism for attending games. “For all of you complaining about Taylor being at the game, get a f***ing life, that’s her f***king boyfriend,” she said during her Vegas residency.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell recently fueled additional halftime speculation when asked about Swift performing, calling her “a special, special talent” and leaving the door wide open.