Millions of viewers will be pinned to their screens to watch the confrontation between Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs. But for many others, the highlight of the Super Bowl will be attending The Weeknd, who will become the third Canadian artist in history to top the prestigious halftime show.
Canadians are rarely invited to entertain fans at the Super Bowl; Only two have been awarded this show in the past, namely Dan Aykroyd (in the Blues Brothers band) and Shania Twain.
So this honor is much bigger for The Weeknd. And he is fully aware.
“We all grew up watching the greatest artists perform in the Super Bowl and we can’t help but dream one day to be in the position.” The 30-year-old Torontonian said in a statement, “I am so moved, proud and excited to be on this famous stage this year.
But what do you expect from this offer?
It is difficult to say, that the details of these services are practically a state secret, year after year.
Millions more
Fans can still expect to be surprised. The Weeknd team recently confirmed it to the magazine painting The singer untied his portfolio to increase his department’s budget by $ 7 million (or nearly $ 9 million Canadian), to deliver a “cinematic” event commensurate with his ambitions.
The National Football League has not disclosed the production costs for the Super Bowl halftime shows. However, rumors indicate that Jennifer Lopez and Shakira’s singing tour, which premiered last year, raised the bill to around $ 13 million USD.
Remember that halftime shows last on average … 13 minutes.
Soloist and sobriety
But The Weeknd surprised its audience at a press conference on Thursday, announcing that there were no plans to invite any artists to join her on stage for the occasion. Thus he disproved the persistent rumors that Drake, Ariana Grande, Kenny J, or even Doga Cat had come to lend a hand.
The 30-year-old also took advantage of the event to reassure families that he would not appear on stage with his face swollen or bandaged, as he recently used to, out of respect for younger viewers.
Miley opening
Although there were no special guests at the halftime show, The Weeknd isn’t the only expected performer on site for the Super Bowl celebrations on Sunday.
Miley Cyrus will be opening pre-match celebrations in the afternoon at an event hosted by TikTok. His performance will be transmitted directly via the popular app.
As for the pre-match national anthem, it will be played as a duet this year, with the mission entrusted to Jasmine Sullivan and Eric Church. The singer is here to come back Beautiful AmericaPoet Amanda Gorman, revealed during Joe Biden’s inauguration, will present a script of her own.