Taylor Swift will attend Super Bowl LIX on February 9, but she has not yet taken the halftime stage. The global star has fielded offers and fueled fan theories for years. Yet timing, business ties and personal priorities kept her in the stands instead of under the lights. This year, she plans to cheer for Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs while also supporting Kendrick Lamar and SZA during the show.
Super Bowl LIX halftime show scheduling conflicts
According to TMZ and Time, Swift has had clear reasons to pass in recent seasons. In 2024, she had just restarted the international leg of her Eras Tour. She managed to fly from Tokyo to Las Vegas to watch Kelce. Moving her crew and production in time for a 13 minute set proved unrealistic.Speculation still swirled that she would appear with Usher. He had wrapped a Las Vegas residency and fit the logistics. Swift did not join him.Earlier in her career, critics questioned whether her catalog packed enough stadium punch. That changed as hits stacked up. Songs like “Shake It Off,” “Blank Space,” and “Bad Blood” helped fans picture her in the slot.
Taylor Swift’s brand deals and re-recordings
Business relationships also complicated the path. Swift partnered with Diet Coke starting in 2013. Pepsi then sponsored the halftime show for years. That overlap limited opportunities.When Apple Music replaced Pepsi, rumors exploded again. TMZ reported in 2022 that sources said Swift wanted to finish rerecording her first six albums before accepting. She stayed busy releasing Lover, folklore, evermore and Midnights while revisiting older work.Swift later reflected on a darker chapter. “Make no mistake—my career was taken away from me,” she said while discussing the fallout from clashes with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. From a stronger place, she told Time, “It feels like the breakthrough moment of my career, happening at 33,” and added, “And for the first time in my life, I was mentally tough enough to take what comes with that.”With the Eras Tour now finished, the calendar finally looks open. If she wants the stage, she can say yes.