Who's performing at the Super Bowl LV halftime show? A guide to all the night's entertainment


Farah Andrews
  • English
  • Arabic

Sports fans are gearing up for one of the year's biggest nights, with the Kansas City Chiefs set to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Super Bowl LV.

However, if you're not tuning in for the touchdowns, it's likely that you'll be there for the evening's entertainment.

Here is a guide to all of the performers set to take the stage at Super Bowl 55.

When is 2021 Super Bowl taking place? 

This year, the Super Bowl is taking place on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, Florida. Kick-off is at 6.30pm ET, which is 3.30am GST on Monday in the UAE.

Who is performing the US national anthem? 

Ahead of the American football game, R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan and country singer Eric Church will duet the US national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner.

Grammy Award-winning Slide singer HER will perform America the Beautiful before Sullivan and Church take to the stage.

In an inclusive move, deaf rapper Warren Snipe, known as Wawa, will perform both of the songs in American Sign Language.

Will there be any other music before the game? 

Yes, Miley Cyrus will headline the first TikTok Tailgate show. The pre-game event has been designed for the 7,500 vaccinated healthcare workers who will be attending the game. It will be live-streamed in its entirety on TikTok, with portions televised as part of the pre-match coverage on CBS.

Is Amanda Gorman taking to the stage? 

Amanda Gorman will recite a new original poem at Super Bowl LV. EPA
Amanda Gorman will recite a new original poem at Super Bowl LV. EPA

America's National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, who made headlines with her recital of original poem The Hill We Climb at US President Joe Biden's inauguration, will also perform.

Gorman, 22, will recite a new original poem as part of the lively pre-game coverage. Her work will recognise three honorary game captains who have been chosen by the NFL: Los Angeles teacher Trimaine Davis, Florida nurse Suzie Dorner and Marine veteran James Martin.

Will The Weeknd have any special guests?

The Weeknd will perform the Super Bowl half-time show, but will he have any special guests? Drake is a current favourite. Courtesy Sife El Amine
The Weeknd will perform the Super Bowl half-time show, but will he have any special guests? Drake is a current favourite. Courtesy Sife El Amine

It is no secret that Canadian rapper The Weeknd is headlining the half-time show.

The Blinding Lights rapper has said his performance will be 24 minutes long, however, that has been refuted by his representatives who say it will last 12 to 13 minutes.

The Weeknd told Billboard magazine he has put in $7 million of his own money to "make this half-time show what he envisioned".

“We’ve been really focusing on dialling in on the fans at home and making performances a cinematic experience, and we want to do that with the Super Bowl," he added.

Super Bowl half-time performers have a history of bringing out guests – Coldplay brought out Beyonce, Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson in 2016; Katy Perry was joined by Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott in 2015; and Madonna brought out LMFAO, Cirque du Soleil performers and Nicki Minaj in 2012.

The Weeknd has not confirmed who he'll be bringing out on stage with him, if anyone, but that has not stopped speculation. Doja Cat, Drake and Ariana Grande are among the favourite suggestions for guest stars.

Who has headlined the half-time show in the past?

US singer Jennifer Lopez and Colombian singer Shakira perform during the halftime at Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on February 2, 2020. EPA
US singer Jennifer Lopez and Colombian singer Shakira perform during the halftime at Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on February 2, 2020. EPA

Here are all of the Super Bowl half-time show headliners since 2000, including Beyonce, U2, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones and Nelly:

2020: Jennifer Lopez and Shakira

2019: Maroon 5 with Travis Scott, Big Boi

2018: Justin Timberlake

2017: Lady Gaga

2016: Coldplay with Beyonce, Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson

2015: Katy Perry with Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott

2014: Bruno Mars with Red Hot Chili Peppers

2013: Beyonce with Destiny's Chid

2012: Madonna with LMFAO, Cirque du Soleil performers, Nicki Minaj, Cee Lo Green

2011: The Black Eyed Peas with Usher, Slash

2010: The Who

2009: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

2008: Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers

2007: Prince

2006: The Rolling Stones

2005: Paul McCartney

2004: Jessica Simpson, Janet Jackson, P Diddy, Nelly, Kid Rock and Justin Timberlake

2003: Shania Twain, No Doubt and Sting

2002: U2

2001: Aerosmith, NSync, Britney Spears, Mary J Blige, Nelly

2000: Phil Collins, Christina Aguilera, Enrique Iglesias, Toni Braxton

Temple numbers

Expected completion: 2022

Height: 24 meters

Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people

Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people

First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time

First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres  

Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres

Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor 

Game Of Thrones Season Seven: A Bluffers Guide

Want to sound on message about the biggest show on television without actually watching it? Best not to get locked into the labyrinthine tales of revenge and royalty: as Isaac Hempstead Wright put it, all you really need to know from now on is that there’s going to be a huge fight between humans and the armies of undead White Walkers.

The season ended with a dragon captured by the Night King blowing apart the huge wall of ice that separates the human world from its less appealing counterpart. Not that some of the humans in Westeros have been particularly appealing, either.

Anyway, the White Walkers are now free to cause any kind of havoc they wish, and as Liam Cunningham told us: “Westeros may be zombie land after the Night King has finished.” If the various human factions don’t put aside their differences in season 8, we could be looking at The Walking Dead: The Medieval Years

 

Quick pearls of wisdom

Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”

Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.” 

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Miss Granny

Director: Joyce Bernal

Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa

3/5

(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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RESULTS

Catchweight 82kg
Piotr Kuberski (POL) beat Ahmed Saeb (IRQ) by decision.

Women’s bantamweight
Corinne Laframboise (CAN) beat Cornelia Holm (SWE) by unanimous decision.

Welterweight
Omar Hussein (PAL) beat Vitalii Stoian (UKR) by unanimous decision.

Welterweight
Josh Togo (LEB) beat Ali Dyusenov (UZB) by unanimous decision.

Flyweight
Isaac Pimentel (BRA) beat Delfin Nawen (PHI) TKO round-3.

Catchweight 80kg​​​​​​​
Seb Eubank (GBR) beat Emad Hanbali (SYR) KO round 1.

Lightweight
Mohammad Yahya (UAE) beat Ramadan Noaman (EGY) TKO round 2.

Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) beat Reydon Romero (PHI) submission 1.

Welterweight
Juho Valamaa (FIN) beat Ahmed Labban (LEB) by unanimous decision.

Featherweight
Elias Boudegzdame (ALG) beat Austin Arnett (USA) by unanimous decision.

Super heavyweight
Maciej Sosnowski (POL) beat Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) by submission round 1.

MATCH INFO

Euro 2020 qualifier

Ukraine 2 (Yaremchuk 06', Yarmolenko 27')

Portugal 1 (Ronaldo 72' pen)

Other simple ideas for sushi rice dishes

Cheat’s nigiri 
This is easier to make than sushi rolls. With damp hands, form the cooled rice into small tablet shapes. Place slices of fresh, raw salmon, mackerel or trout (or smoked salmon) lightly touched with wasabi, then press, wasabi side-down, onto the rice. Serve with soy sauce and pickled ginger.

Easy omurice
This fusion dish combines Asian fried rice with a western omelette. To make, fry cooked and cooled sushi rice with chopped vegetables such as carrot and onion and lashings of sweet-tangy ketchup, then wrap in a soft egg omelette.

Deconstructed sushi salad platter 
This makes a great, fuss-free sharing meal. Arrange sushi rice on a platter or board, then fill the space with all your favourite sushi ingredients (edamame beans, cooked prawns or tuna, tempura veggies, pickled ginger and chilli tofu), with a dressing or dipping sauce on the side.

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg
Real Madrid (2) v Bayern Munich (1)

Where: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
When: 10.45pm, Tuesday
Watch Live: beIN Sports HD

While you're here
Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

Electric scooters: some rules to remember
  • Riders must be 14-years-old or over
  • Wear a protective helmet
  • Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
  • Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
  • Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
  • Do not drive outside designated lanes