Miley Cyrus’ fans are buzzing about reports that she’ll be headlining the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show. Reports hit the web on Monday, July 8, that the “Flowers” singer would be taking the stage next year for football’s biggest night, which is set to take place at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Popular sports site MLFootball first broke the rumors, noting that Cyrus, 31, had been “one of the finalists” to play the Halftime Show last year before the gig ultimately went to Usher. One fan on X wrote that a potential performance from the “Wrecking Ball” singer would “change lives” while others cited her 2024 Grammys performance as a preview of the energy and vocals Cyrus could bring to the show.
Neither Cyrus, 31, nor the NFL have commented on the possible news, though PEOPLE reached out to both for comment. Of course, Super Bowl LIX is always away, with football season not even starting until Sept. 5. The Big Game will be held on Feb. 9, 2025.
If Cyrus does perform, it’ll be a huge step for the Grammy winner. She told British Vogue in May 2023 that she prefers to perform for her friends rather than stadiums full of fans. “Like singing for hundreds of thousands of people isn’t really the thing that I love,” said Cyrus. “There’s no connection. There’s no safety. It’s also not natural. It’s so isolating because if you’re in front of 100,000 people then you are alone.”
The negative impact performing in stadiums had on her mental health, Cyrus said, is the reason she hasn’t gone on the road since her 2014 Bangerz Tour. “This has nothing to do with a lack of appreciation for the fans and everything to do with I simply don’t want to get ready in a locker room, which is the reality of life on the road,” she wrote on X. “I just don’t want to sleep on a moving bus. It isn’t what’s best for me right NOW.”
Still, if there’s anyone who could get Cyrus on the stage at the Super Bowl, it’s probably her godmother Dolly Parton. After all, Parton was responsible for getting Cyrus on stage at the Grammys. “I told her, ‘I’m wondering if I’m going to do the Grammys or not,’ ” Cyrus recalled in an episode of Netflix’s My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman in June 2024. “And she said, ‘Well of course you’re going to do the Grammys. And you’re not just going to show up but you’re going to show off. And you’re going to be everything that you are sitting right here in front of me.’ ”
“She’s always said this to me: ‘You do you, and I’ll do me, and together we’ll be us,’ ” she continued. “So she wasn’t telling me to be Dolly, she wasn’t telling me to be fabulous and hide behind the sparkles and the hair. She was telling me to be me.”
Parton herself has never played the Super Bowl Halftime Show in her decades-long career, though has said that she’s been offered the prestigious gig “many times” in the past but declined. “I couldn’t do it because of other things, or I just didn’t think I was big enough to do it — to do that big of a production,” the 78-year-old country icon told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published in November 2023. “When you think about those shows, those are big, big productions. I’ve never done anything with that big of a production. I don’t know if I could have. I think at the time that’s what I was thinking.”
Perhaps she and Cyrus, as the fans have asked for, could do it together. “Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton should do the Super Bowl Halftime Show,” a fan wrote on social media last August, another commenting, “Now this is something I’d love to see.”
The anticipation for the Super Bowl 2025 halftime show has already begun, and rumors are swirling about who will take the stage. Scheduled to take place in New Orleans on February 9, 2025, the event might feature pop icon Miley Cyrus as the headliner. According to a report by MLFootball, the two-time Grammy winner is likely to perform at the prestigious event.
Miley Cyrus was previously one of the finalists to perform at Super Bowl LVIII, but the spot ultimately went to Usher, who delivered a memorable performance alongside Alicia Keys, Will.i.am, and Ludacris. Their show is widely regarded as a once-in-a-lifetime performance, setting a high bar for future halftime shows.
While there has been no official confirmation from the NFL regarding the final performer for the Super Bowl 2025 halftime show, MLFootball hinted on their X handle that Miley Cyrus is a strong contender. This would mark her first appearance at a Super Bowl halftime show, though she previously performed at the TikTok Tailgate pregame ceremony for Super Bowl LV, where she entertained over 7,500 health workers.
Fans are eagerly awaiting the NFL’s official announcement, which is expected a few months before the game. The possibility of Cyrus headlining the show has generated significant excitement, as her dynamic performances and chart-topping hits promise an electrifying experience.
In addition to Miley Cyrus, several other high-profile artists are rumored to be in contention for the Super Bowl 2025 halftime show. Lil Wayne, a New Orleans native, is another frontrunner. The rapper, known for hits like “Look At Me Now,” has expressed his strong desire to perform at a Super Bowl, especially since the event will be held in his hometown.
Taylor Swift is also a popular choice among fans and NFL executives. With her Eras Tour wrapping up in December, she would have ample time to prepare for the February event. Swift’s relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has already garnered significant media attention, and her performance could potentially benefit the league and the Chiefs if they maintain their championship aspirations.
Other notable names being considered include Drake, Dua Lipa, Nicki Minaj, Post Malone, and Justin Bieber. The halftime show, which will be broadcasted on Fox Sports, is also notable for being Tom Brady’s first-ever Super Bowl in the commentary booth.
As speculation continues, fans can look forward to an official announcement from the NFL, which will reveal whether Miley Cyrus or another major artist will take center stage at Super Bowl 2025.
Source: PEOPLE, MLFootball, The Hollywood Reporter
