What time does the Super Bowl halftime show start? (Updated 2023)

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 09: Rihanna poses onstage during the Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Press Conference at Phoenix Convention Center on February 09, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation)
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 09: Rihanna poses onstage during the Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Press Conference at Phoenix Convention Center on February 09, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Even non-football fans tune into the Super Bowl each year, many with the same question as this year: What time does the Super Bowl halftime show start?

Rihanna is a big reason why that question is being begged, as her performance has been highly touted ever since being announced late last year. It’s been seven years since she released an album (2016’s Anti), she hasn’t toured in ages, and many are viewing her performance at the Super Bowl halftime show as a declaration that Rihanna is back.

She hasn’t gone anywhere, as Rihanna has simply found other ways to dominate the world. Fenty Beauty is one of the most popular brands in the world, proving that RiRi’s powers know no bounds and there isn’t a corner of pop culture she can’t control.

That will once again be on display at the Super Bowl LVII halftime show on Sunday night.

What time does the Super Bowl halftime show start?

While there’s no doubt that Rihanna is the reason many around the world will be tuning in, with the Super Bowl itself secondary to the experience.

Unfortunately, unlike the game, there’s no set time for when the Super Bowl halftime show will start. The best guess is that the halftime show will start around 8:30 pm ET, which is roughly two hours into the actual game.

It all depends on how fast the first half goes, which itself is dictated by a number of factors. The pace of play is one thing, but there’s also the television timeouts to consider which are lengthier than normal thanks to the millions of dollars spent on commercials.

For what it’s worth, here’s the list of Super Bowl halftime performers going back to 2015:

  • 2022: Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar
  • 2021: The Weeknd
  • 2020: Shakira and Jennifer Lopez
  • 2019: Maroon 5
  • 2018: Justin Timberlake
  • 2017: Lady Gaga
  • 2016: Beyoncé, Coldplay
  • 2015: Katy Perry

Each halftime show has given us some sort of memorable moment. Katy Perry gave the world Left Shark, Lady Gaga dove into the stadium from the roof, The Weeknd gave us the mirror meme, and Beyoncé is Beyoncé.

Rihanna has an unbelievable amount of cultural currency to play with during her Super Bowl halftime show and it’s surely going to be one that ranks up there among the best we’ve ever seen.