Taylor Swift fueled speculation after rumors connected her name to the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show. Reports suggested the pop star might headline the event following her high-profile relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Insiders later clarified that the buzz stemmed from fan-driven chatter rather than any real negotiations with the NFL.
Taylor Swift was not a choice for Super Bowl 2026
Taylor Swift was never in contention for the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show.
An NFL insider confirmed in an exclusive report from Rob Shuter on Substack that the league “never had a single serious conversation” with Swift. The source added, “It was never going to be her in 2026. The speculation was fan-driven, not fact.” Commissioner Roger Goodell contributed to the rumors during a Today show appearance when he smirked before passing the decision to Jay-Z, saying, “It’s in his hands,” a reference to Roc Nation, which has overseen the halftime show since 2019.
Speculation linking Swift to the event intensified in part because of her high-profile relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who played in the Super Bowl earlier this year. Fans believed the NFL would attempt to capitalize on the global attention surrounding the couple. However, league sources stated that the connection between Kelce and Swift had no bearing on the halftime negotiations. “She didn’t call the NFL, and they didn’t call her,” an insider said. “She’s focused on her new album and her wedding. She didn’t want them, and they didn’t want her this year.”
Roc Nation and the NFL locked in Bad Bunny as the headliner for Super Bowl LX, set for February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco. Insiders revealed that they floated Adele’s name publicly as a decoy while the real talks focused solely on Bad Bunny. “That’s who Jay-Z wanted, and that’s who Jay-Z got,” one source revealed.
Despite ongoing rumors, the league confirmed Swift was never a candidate, and her priorities remain outside of the halftime spotlight as attention shifts to the upcoming performance.
