The Metal Band One Past Halftime Show Performer Wants to See Play the Super Bowl in 2026

If the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show does indeed feature Metallica, you may have a previous Super Bowl halftime performer to at least partially thank for it.

For a while now, fans have been connecting the dots between metal legends Metallica and the Super Bowl taking place in their backyard at Levi's Stadium in the San Francisco area this February. And you can count Usher among those who feel they would be the perfect fit.

TMZ Hip Hop recently caught the Super Bowl LVIII (58) halftime performer out and about at CBS Studios where they fired off a few questions, including who Usher would want to see perform this year at the Super Bowl. Offering a one word suggestion, he simply stated, "Metallica."

Why Usher's Metallica Super Bowl Shout Out Holds Some Weight

Back in 2019, the NFL teamed up with Jay-Z's entertainment company Roc Nation on a partnership that has helped determine who the Super Bowl halftime performer would be. The artist's popularity, genre and cultural impact are some of the factors used in narrowing down a list of potential performers.

“In the end, it’s only one person who makes that decision: Jay-Z,” Apple Music’s Zane Lowe said in a TODAY Show interview with Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager in 2024.

Jesse Collins, an executive producer behind the Super Bowl halftime shows, also confirmed to Variety in 2024 that Jay-Z was the primary decision maker.

Recent years have leaned more in the pop, rap and hip-hop world as acts such as Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, The Weeknd, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna and Usher have taken the Super Bowl halftime stage. With an influx of pop performers in recent years, there has been some public outcry to vary it up a bit.

The last rock act to have played the Super Bowl halftime was Coldplay in 2016 in a year in which many thought Metallica might be considered to headline the halftime show. That year, Metallica played a well-regarded and energetic Super Bowl weekend performance in the Bay Area as part of the Super Bowl festivities that may have showed the NFL decision makers they could carry such a spotlight.

Metallica certainly have the clout and the accolades and have transcended the rock and metal world to international and pop culture acclaim.

So any shoutouts from someone in the pop and hip-hop world, especially someone who played a Super Bowl halftime that was hand picked by Jay-Z, would have to be considered a nod in the right direction for Metallica to potentially be chosen.

What Metallica Have Said Concerning the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show

Earlier this summer, Metallica were guests on Howard Stern's SiriusXM show and they were asked about the possibility of playing Super Bowl LX (60).

Drummer Lars Ulrich seemed passionate about the idea, telling Stern emphatically, "Fuck yeah of course we would,"

He then added, “First of all 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.”

Metallica's current touring itinerary takes them well into 2026, but at present there are no dates scheduled in February 2026.