The Super Bowl is the biggest and most important event of American Football since its first game in 1967. The game is played between the two winning teams from the NFL’s (National Football League) two conferences. It has become one of the most watched sports events in America, with millions of people glued to their TV screens. This year (2024) the game took place in the afternoon of Sunday, 11th of February, US time. If you live in London, UK, you might have been able to watch the game in many different places such as The Blues Kitchen, BOXPARK, Hardrock Cafe in Piccadilly Circus or Mayfair, your local university bar, and many more. The two teams that played against each other this year were the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers and the game took place at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada.
The Super Bowl not only attracts American football fans but also people who do not necessarily have an interest in the sport. One anticipated event is the halftime show that occurs every year during the game. Last year, Rihanna was the one who sang during halftime to the excitement of many people watching. The biggest star of the night was not Taylor Swift, as people expected, but Usher, who made everyone agree that he still holds the title of ‘King of R&B’. Unfortunately, most fans were disappointed as there was a rumour going around that Justin Bieber had been invited to perform with Usher on stage. Instead, Justin Bieber was seen in the stands with his wife, Hailey Bieber, and her best friend, Kendall Jenner. It was a very flashy performance, with a marching band, him rollerskating, and surprise appearances such as Jermaine Dupri, Lil Jon, Ludacris, Alicia Keys, will.i.am, and H.E.R. He opened the show in a white costume, dancing on the football field with acrobatic dancers, while singing his 2004 song, ‘Caught Up‘. People were quite surprised as most fans predicted that he was going to start his performance with ‘Hey Daddy‘ and his famous line ‘Daddy’s home.’ He then followed with ‘U Don’t Have to Call,’ ‘Superstar‘, and ‘Love in This Club,’ his dance anthem. He then sang ‘My Boo‘ with Alicia Keys and followed with other beloved hits such as ‘Confessions,’ ‘Burn,’ and ‘U Got It Bad.’ After the intervention of H.E.R. and will.i.am, Usher closed his show with ‘Yeah!‘ that he performed with Ludacris and Lil Jon for fans’ delight.
For Swifties’ pleasure, Taylor Swift was seen cheering in the stand for her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, accompanied by her best friend, Blake Lively. Even though the Kansas City Chiefs were not the favourites, they are now back-to-back champions, winning the Super Bowl for the second time in a row (after their win in 2023 against the Eagles), and for the third time in five years. The Kansas City Chiefs led by Mahomes and Kelce won 25-22 against the San Francisco 49ers. The Super Bowl attracted 123.4 million viewers, setting TV Ratings Record. The Chiefs’ victory over the 49ers broke viewership records, boosted by an overtime win, Usher’s nostalgic performance, and the beloved couple, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.