generic The Cost of Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and More Performers’ Super Bowl Halftime Shows
Imagine what’s involved in transforming a football stadium into a concert venue — and back — in the span of about 25 minutes. Workers have to bring in stages and sets, performers have to find their spots, fireworks and audio have to be coordinated, and it all has to be cleaned up, with no traces left when the teams return to the field. The entire production often involves more than 2,000 people. This is why only some of the biggest names in entertainment have performed at the Super Bowl halftime show in recent years. Prince, Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen are among the stars who have played what is one of the biggest stages in the world.
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Even though they all perform for free (the NFL does not pay its halftime stars), the halftime show still can cost a pretty penny. GOBankingRates looked back at five of the biggest halftime shows to detail the costs involved.
2020: Jennifer Lopez and Shakira, $13 Million
Having two headliners makes the show tough to produce. The two Latina stars each sang some of their hits and also performed together. Lopez’s 11-year-old daughter, Emme, also sang.
2017: Lady Gaga, $10 Million
Lady Gaga‘s halftime show featured her arrival on a trapeze, jumping from the roof of NRG Stadium in Houston, which added to the degree of difficulty (so did all the drones).
2013: Beyoncé, $600,000
Despite plenty of LED panels, Beyoncé‘s show didn’t break the bank. For her 12-minute set, she delivered several signature hits. The highlight was her reunion with her Destiny’s Child co-stars, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams.
2007: Prince, $12 Million (Estimated)
This is often ranked the greatest halftime show of all time. And while an exact cost isn’t available for this show, Grunge reports that past shows have cost around $1 million per minute, so by those estimates, Prince’s 12-minute show would have cost about $12 million. And it appears to have been worth it because Prince performed some of his greatest hits, such as “Let’s Go Crazy,” but included plenty of covers of other rock hits such as “We Will Rock You” and “All Along the Watchtower.” Oh, and he did it all while playing in a downpour.
2001: Aerosmith, NSYNC, $11 Million
What a combination — a show titled “The Kings of Rock and Pop” also featured cameos from Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige, Nelly and more. The show was far more entertaining than the game itself, in which the Baltimore Ravens won 34-7 over the New York Giants.
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