2023 Super Bowl halftime show: 3 things to know

(NEXSTAR) – When Super Bowl LVII airs Sunday night, some will tune in to the football, some will pay attention to the commercials, and others will be there for one reason: Rihanna.

The nine-time Grammy winner and pop icon declined the performance only a few years ago. Now she will take the field halfway through the Chiefs-Eagles game to make a much-anticipated return since Birth of her first child with partner A$AP Rocky.

“Rihanna is a generational talent, a woman from humble beginnings who has exceeded expectations at every turn. A person born on the small island of Barbados who became one of the most prominent artists of all time. Self-made in business and entertainment,” Jay-Z said in a statement. His entertainment agency, Roc Nation, is one of the executive producers of the halftime show.

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When does the halftime show start?

Unless you’re a football fan, saying the halftime show is at halftime might not really answer your question. So let’s break it down.

The NFL plays four 15-minute quarters — two before halftime and two after. There are two-minute breaks at the end of the first and third quarters as each team rotates ends of the field.

However, this does not include stopping the game clock, teams taking time-outs, or commercial breaks. In all of this is the average NFL game takes about three hours and 12 minutes.

Super Bowl LVII begins at 6:30 p.m. ET and is scheduled to last until around 10 p.m. ET Local TV programs. Subtracting the time allotted for the halftime show and commercial breaks, that leaves just over three hours for the game.

Dividing that by two, the first half of the game should take around an hour and a half. So if you just want to tune in for the halftime show, you can expect it to start between 8pm and 8:30pm ET.

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What songs will Rihanna perform?

The setlist hasn’t been officially announced, but some songs are more likely to appear than others – at least according to betting odds.

From Tuesday is the Odds on several gambling sites had “Don’t Stop The Music” from Rihanna’s 2007 album Good Girl Gone Bad as the most likely first song during the halftime show. Players are predicting she’ll end the performance with another hit from the same album, “Umbrella.”

Super Bowl halftime shows typically last around 15 minutes. Last year’s performance by Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Snoop Dogg included nine songs in his setlist. The year before, The Weeknd also sang nine songs.

With so many hits throughout her career, Rihanna is likely to perform a medley of her favorites. The other songs thought to be most likely included somewhere in the performance are “We Found Love”, “Where Have You Been” and “Rude Boy”.

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Will there be surprise guests?

The show’s producers and the NFL have been extremely reticent about the details of the show — including any guest appearances or cameos — but even here there are betting odds.

Perhaps because Roc Nation is listed as the halftime show’s producer, Jay-Z is said to be the most likely guest star Bets placed by Tuesday.

Other suggested guests include longtime collaborators Calvin Harris and Drake. Some are betting partner A$AP Rocky will stop by, and some are even betting he’ll bring their baby.

Rihanna also has songs with some recent half-time artists, like Shakira and Eminem, so if she decides to share the stage, there are plenty of stars to choose from.