Usher has backed Metallica‘s bid to headline the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show.
Next year, the Super Bowl will take place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, San Francisco. While a headline act has yet to be announced, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich recently hinted that the metal icons would be more than keen to play the coveted slot in their hometown next spring.
Earlier this month, he sat down with Howard Stern on the SiriusXM radio show, and when asked if they’d be up for filling the February slot, said, “Fuck yeah, of course we would”.
“First of all,” he continued, “we would do it. Second of all, to do it in San Francisco would be a dream come true and would be the right fit. Certainly, as somebody who’s represented San Francisco all over the world and shouted for decades about San Francisco and our love for the Bay Area, that part of it is the right fit. Ultimately, it’s not our decision.”
#EXCLUSIVE 🤔 Do you agree? Usher says he wants to rock out for the next Super Bowl Halftime Show — to the classic metal sounds of Metallica! https://t.co/egMpk8EUt5 pic.twitter.com/LRuSHTMPAV
— TMZ (@TMZ) September 12, 2025
Now, Usher has weighed in and put the ‘72 Seasons‘ artists forward as his first pick. He headlined the Super Bowl Halftime Show in Las Vegas last year, and was recently asked by TMZ who he’d like to see take the stage during the big game in San Francisco, and, before ducking into a nearby car, was quick to reply: “Metallica.”
Aside from the potential Halftime show early next year, Metallica will be playing a string of stadium shows across the UK and Europe in 2026, including dates in Dublin, Glasgow, Cardiff and London. Opening sets will come from Gojira, Pantera, Knocked Loose and Avatar. See the full list of dates here and find any remaining tickets here.
As for other metal and football crossovers, Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson sang the American national anthem at an NFL game over the weekend.
Though Metallica were Usher’s first pick, Taylor Swift has also long been a top contender for a Super Bowl halftime show performance, and speculation that she’ll soon be headlining the coveted slot has picked up steam in recent weeks – “evidence” of which you can check out here.
As for when 2026’s performer will be announced, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said he’s waiting on the NFL’s music supervisor Jay-Z to finalise a date. Performers are typically announced between September and October the previous year – Kendrick Lamar was announced in September 2024 to headline this year’s sporting event.
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