Concerts
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The Super Bowl Halftime Show has come a long way over the years, growing from a quaint marching band-centric affair to a blockbuster concert that draws in the biggest names in music — not to mention millions of eyeballs.
When it debuted in 1967, the halftime show featured, among other things, the University of Arizona Symphonic Marching Band performing “The Sound of Music” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” nothing you wouldn’t be surprised to see at any ordinary college football game. As the years went on, however, it expanded — but it wasn’t quite A-list. Mid-game breaks featured everything from an Elvis Presley-impersonating magician (Elvis Presto, obviously) to the New Mouseketeers.
But when Michael Jackson headlined the halftime show in 1993, everything changed. Audiences grew accustomed to the idea of seeing the biggest pop star in the world performing at the biggest game in America, and before long, the modern halftime show took hold. It became not only an offering of live music and entertainment for football fans waiting patiently for third quarter to start, but also a badge of honor for the artists invited to perform. Playing the Super Bowl is one of the greatest milestones you can achieve as a musician, a singular marker of a star who’s earned their stripes as a bona fide legend.
From MJ’s game-changer to Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson’s culture-shifting slipup, and from Beyonce’s 2013 show-stopper to Dr. Dre’s 2022 hip-hop extravaganza, keep reading to see Billboard‘s 13 best Super Bowl Halftime Show performances of all time.
Lizzo, Kendrick Lamar and Odesza will headline this summer’s Governors Ball Music Festival. The New York event announced the full lineup for this year’s fest on Tuesday morning (Jan. 17), including news that it is moving to Flushing Meadows Corona Park, a green space that has previously hosted two World’s Fairs and the annual U.S. Open Tennis Championship.
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Among the other 60+ acts slated to perform from June 9 through June 11 for the 12th edition of the festival are: Lil Uzi Vert, Haim, Diplo, Omar Apollo, Kim Petras, Joey Bada$$, 070 Shake, Lil Baby, aespa, Rina Sawayama, Lauv, Oliver Tree, Finneas, Kenny Beats, Lil Nas X, Giveon, Sofi Tukker, Pusha T, girl in red, Central Cee, Tems and PinkPanthress, among others.
After a long run at Randall’s Island through 2021 and two years at Citi Field, the move to Corona Park will feature a return to a parkside setting with shade trees and grassy fields, as well as easy accessibility via multiple public transportation options and a new collaboration with Queens Night Market, which will bring a number of Night Market favorites to the festival as vendors.
“We’re big steppers here in Queens, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome Kendrick Lamar, Lizzo, Odesza and a litany of other iconic artists to Flushing Meadows Corona Park for Governors Ball 2023 this June,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. in a statement. “Beyond hosting some of the world’s most popular musicians and enjoying the economic activity that Governors Ball will generate across Queens, we’re also deeply grateful for the festival’s partnership with local organizations like the Queens Night Market, [non-profits] Chhaya and Elmhurst/Corona Recovery Collective to elevate our local food vendors and our community groups doing critical empowerment work every day.”
The Ball will invite young musicians from the local community to perform, with future stars from School of Rock Queens and School of Rock Brooklyn kicking off the show on Friday and Saturday.
This year will also include the introduction of the GA+ ticket, which will include access to air-conditioned bathrooms, an exclusive, centrally located lounge area with shade, seating and its own exclusive bar, food vendors and water refill stations. A special presale for 3-day and 1-day GA, plus the new GA+, VIP and platinum tickets will be available exclusively for Citi cardmembers from Tuesday through Thursday (Jan. 19) at 11: 59 a.m. ET here. Fan early access tickets will be available on Thursday at 10 a.m. ET (click here to sign up), with a general on-sale to follow.
Check out the full lineup below.
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival unfurled its 2023 lineup on Friday (Jan. 13) with Lizzo, Ed Sheeran and Dead & Company among the headliners.
Other big names at the top of the event’s roster include Mumford & Sons, The Lumineers, Santana, Jon Batiste, Jill Scott, Robert Plant & Allison Krauss, Kane Brown, H.E.R., Steve Miller Band and more.
The Louisiana-based fest will take place across two weekends from April 28 to May 7 at the Fair Grounds Race Course. Tickets packages come in either a three-day option for $240 on weekend one or a four-day option for $290 on weekend two, with additional early bird and VIP ticketing available while supplies last. Prospective attendees can buy tickets on the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival’s official website.
The seven-day festival will also feature the Congo Square African Marketplace, where concertgoers will find an array of original goods and crafting techniques presented by artisans ranging from the local to the international, as well as the Contemporary Crafts tents in Heritage Square and the Louisiana Marketplace highlighting the state’s vibrant culture.
Sheeran will take the stage in New Orleans in between dates on the upcoming North American leg of his Mathematics Tour, which sold more concert tickets in 2022 than any other act. At the end of May, Lizzo will also headline BottleRock Napa Valley alongside Post Malone and Lil Nas X.
Meanwhile, Dead & Co. will kick off their final tour just weeks after playing Jazz Fest with John Mayer and company starting the nationwide trek at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum on May 19 and 20.
Check out the full lineup for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 2023 below.
Fans who missed international superstar Harry Styles‘ epic Love on Tour North America run have two more chances to catch the “Music for a Sushi Restaurant” singer perform live.
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After completing three rescheduled shows at the Forum in Los Angeles Jan. 26, 27 and 29, Styles announced on Friday (Jan. 13) that he will play two final nights at Acrisure Arena, Southern California’s newest 11,000-capacity world-class venue in Greater Palm Springs, on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1. Madi Diaz will serve as a special guest for the two dates.
Since launching Sept. 4, 2021, Styles has netted $338.9 million and sold 2.6 million tickets for the Live Nation produced, 120 show tour according to Billboard Boxscore. Love on Tour made many stops around the globe including North America, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand and Asia.
Tickets for the Acrisure Arena tour are expected to sell fast and to ensure tickets get into the hands of fans, Love on Tour has partnered with Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan platform for two separate pre-sales. Fans can register for both pre-sales here through Jan. 16 at 12 p.m. pacific time.
Registered fans who receive a code will have access to purchase tickets before the general public starting on Jan. 19 at 10 a.m. pacific time. Only fans that have received a unique code will have the chance to purchase tickets for performances on a first come, first served basis. General on sale for tickets will begin Jan. 20 at 10 a.m. pacific time at hstyles.co.uk/tour.
See Styles’ concert announcement below.
Looks like Taylor Swift is getting ready for her The Eras Tour with a little stage time. Unsuspecting fans at The 1975‘s concert in London on Thursday (Jan. 12) were beyond surprised when Swift took the stage at the O2 arena to not only perform one of the rock band’s classic tracks, but also to live-debut her latest hit single.
In fan-captured video, Swift is seen emerging onstage in a sparkling silver dress, taking in the screaming crowd of fans. In other moments, the singer takes a shot covering The 1975’s “The City” — a fan-favorite track from the band’s self-titled first album — with the help of her trusty acoustic guitar.
“Yeah, counting cards was the best job he ever had/ Cleaning up/ He got good with his fours and his twos/ Community service was the best job he ever had/ Cleaning up/ He got sick on the floor and his shoes,” Swift sang, before launching into the track’s catchy pre-chorus.
But that wasn’t all Swift came prepared to sing. Shortly after, the mega-star surprised fans even further by giving “Anti-Hero” its first-ever live performance. Considering how big of a splash the track has made — its currently in seventh week atop the Billboard Hot 100, after all — the entire stadium hung onto every word Swift sang, joining her for the track’s catchy refrain: “It’s me, hi/ I’m the problem, it’s me.”
Swift won’t have to wait for long before dusting off her best acoustic guitars: She’s scheduled to head out on the road for The Eras Tour, which is scheduled to kick off March 17 in Glendale, Ariz.
Watch Swift perform during The 1975’s show in the videos below.
Phish is slated to embark on a short West Coast tour this coming spring, with the beloved jam band announcing eight shows as part of a 10-day sprint from Seattle to Berkley, California, capped by their first-ever three-night stand at Los Angeles’ legendary Hollywood Bowl.
Starting in Seattle, Phish is set to perform for two nights at the city’s Climate Pledge Arena (Apr. 14-15) before heading down to Berkeley, where they’re slated to play for three nights at the Greek Theatre (Apr. 17-19) followed by their three-night run at the Hollywood Bowl (Apr. 21-23).
A ticket request period for the shows is now underway at tickets.phish.com and it will continue through Monday, Jan. 16 at noon ET. Tickets for the 10-day run officially go on sale to the general public beginning on Friday, Jan. 20 at 10 am PT. Specific ticketing information for each show is now available at phish.com/tours.
Tickets are still available for Phish’s return to Mexico for the sixth installment of the band’s “concert vacation” getaway Phish: Riviera Maya, which is slated to run from February 23-26 at the Moon Palace Cancún in Riviera Maya, Cancún. The all-inclusive event will feature four unique Phish shows in a state-of-the-art concert venue set against the backdrop of Mexico’s Caribbean coastline. Packages for Phish: Riviera Maya 2023 at the Moon Palace are currently sold out, though an extremely limited number of four-night rooms have been reserved at Hilton Cancún for Phish: Riviera Maya guests. To book a package, visit www.phishrivieramaya.com.
The lineup for this year’s Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival was revealed on Tuesday (Jan. 10), and it featured a two-weekend run topped by Bad Bunny, Frank Ocean and K-pop superstars BLACKPINK. The 2023 edition is slated to run on two consecutive weekends, from April 14-16 and then again from April 21-23.
Also set to perform are Gorillaz, Rosalia, Bjork and many more.
Elusive singer Ocean was originally booked to perform at the 2020 pandemic-canceled edition of the festival; he made his Coachella debut on a side stage in 2012. Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny is a logical headliner choice, as his 2022 tour was the year’s top grosser with $373.5 million, and his top slot would make him the first-ever Spanish-language artist to close out the fest’s main stage.
Last year’s edition featured headline sets from Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, The Weeknd and the reunited Swedish House Mafia following the cancellation of the event in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As always, it was also full of unexpected, buzzy moments that made the crowd at the Empire Polo Club grounds (and those at home watching virtually) lose their minds, including Styles jamming with Shania Twain on her hits “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” and “You’re Still the One.”
They also saw Eilish bring out Blur frontman Damon Albarn for a special rendition of her “Getting Older” and the Gorillaz’s “Feel Good Inc.,” as well as Justin Bieber making a surprise appearance with Daniel Caesar to perform JB’s hit “Peaches.” They even got to see 2NE1 reunite with CL during 88Rising’s Heads in the Clouds Forever showcase.
See the full lineup below.
Kendrick Lamar, Odesza and the Foo Fighters will topline this summer’s Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. The event set for June 15-18 on the Bonnaroo Farm in Manchester, TN will also feature sets from Paramore, Lil Nas X, Baby Keem, Tyler Childers, Marcus Mumford, Korn, Alesso, Three 6 Mafia, GRiZ, My Morning Jacket, Rainbow Kitten Surprise and girl in red, among others.
The performance from the Dave Grohl-led Foos will mark only the second announced set from the group since the shocking death of drummer Taylor Hawkins last March while the group was on tour in Colombia; at press time the group had not yet announced who will take over for Hawkins.
The acts will perform on 10 stages over four days, with more than 150 performances; a selection of the sets will air exclusively on Hulu for the second year, including behind-the-scenes and special footage, with schedules to be announced in the weeks before the fest.
The weekend will kick off on Thursday (June 15) with a first night lineup featuring headliner Zeds Dead, along with performances from Liquid Stranger, 070 Shake, Abraham Alexander, Big Freedia, Briscoe, Celisse, Cimafunk, Diarrhea Planet and more.
Things will crank up on Friday (June 16) with Lamar, as well as Keem, Vulpeck, Portugal. The Man, Noah Kahan, Subrontics, Fleet Foxes, AFI, Sylvan Esso, Rina Sawayama, Charley Crockett, Morgan Wade, Alex G, MUNA, Diesel, Knocked Loose, Matt Maeson, black midi and others.
Saturday’s (June 17) Odesza-topped bill will also feature Louis the Child, JID, Sheryl Crow, STS9, Sofi Tukker, Big Wild, The Band Camino, Jenny Lewis, Yung Gravy, Remi Wolf, Bob Moses, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness and others before the Foos shut things down on Sunday (June 18) along with The Revivalists, Pixies, Umphrey’s McGee, Rebelution, Jacob Collier, Hippo Campus, Peach Pit, Franz Ferdinand and others.
An Early Access on-sale will open on Thursday (Jan. 12) at 11 a.m. ET here, with early sign-ups available now; a public on-sale will take place if there are any tickets left. Ticket packages will be available as 4-day general admission, GA+, VIP and Platinum, along with a limited amount of one-day tickets, general admission camping and parking passes and premium and pre-pitched glamping options. Details about the annual Superjam, Outeroo and Late Night lineups will be announced soon.
Check out the full lineup below.
Foo Fighters hinted on New Year’s Eve that they’ll “soon” return to the stage, following the death last year of longtime drummer Taylor Hawkins. Now, we have at least one venue. The Dave Grohl-led band are set to headline the opening night of Boston Calling, Live Nation’s three-day festival in Harvard Square, on May 26.
Boston Calling is the Foos’ first major performance to be announced since Hawkins’ death last March in Bogota, Colombia. The Lumineers, the alt-folk hit makers from Denver, will headline Saturday night while alt-rock darlings Paramore, poised to release their sixth studio album, This is Why, will close out the festival with a set on Sunday, May 28.
These renowned acts will top a rock-heavy lineup of over 50 performers, including 20 artists with local ties. Rounding out the weekend are a slate of artists ranging from breakout stars to heavy hitters, including seven-time Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Alanis Morissette, playing her first show in Boston since 2012, influential art-punk trio Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and the pounding hard rock of Queens of the Stone Age. Joining these acts are The National, Noah Kahan, Bleachers, Niall Horan, The Flaming Lips, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Mt. Joy, Maren Morris, and many more.
The weekend also offers festivalgoers the chance to hear new sounds, a Boston Calling hallmark since the festival’s 2013 debut. Look for Chelsea Cutler, LÉON, Fletcher, 070 Shake, Teddy Swims, Joy Oladokun, The Linda Lindas, The Beaches, Brutus, Genesis Owusu and The Aces, to name a few.
New to the fest this year is the GA+ experience. General Admission pass-holders can step up their experience and add the GA+ upgrade to their ticket to gain unlimited access to the event’s Thomas Tew VIP Reserve Lounge, an oasis within the grounds including access to a cash bar featuring craft cocktails, plus an expanded beer & wine menu and complimentary water and soft drinks.
Specially priced presale 3-Day general admission, GA+, VIP, and platinum tickets, as well as single day GA, GA+, VIP and platinum tickets are on sale this Thursday, Jan. 12 at 10:00am ET. More information can be found here.
Afro Nation, the world’s biggest music festival focused on Afrobeats music, is coming to the continental U.S. for the first time this year. Afrobeats giants Burna Boy and Wizkid will headline its latest two-day festival in Miami in May.
Following the success of its 2022 Afro Nation festivals in Portugal, Puerto Rico and Ghana, the inaugural Afro Nation Miami 2023 will unite the African and Caribbean diaspora at LoanDepot Park on May 27 and 28, 2023.
The upcoming festival will celebrate and highlight the best in Afrobeats, reggae, dancehall, hip-hop, amapiano, soca and other Black-led musical genres. The first wave of performers who have been announced include Rema, Asake, Beenie Man, CKay, BNXN (formerly known as Buju), Dadju, Franglish, Black Sherif, Nelson Freitas, Gyakie and Nissi. Major League DJz and Uncle Waffles will headline the Piano People stage.
Tickets will go on sale starting, Friday at 1 p.m. ET at USA.AfroNation.com. Register at the site to gain access to the special presale.
In March of last year, 40,000 people attended Afro Nation Puerto Rico 2022, its first festival in North America that was headlined by Wizkid and Megan Thee Stallion. In that same month, Afro Nation partnered with Billboard to create the first-ever U.S. chart for Afrobeats music. The U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart ranks the 50 most popular Afrobeats songs in the country based on a weighted formula incorporating official streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of leading audio and video music services, plus download sales from top music retailers. Afro Nation recently produced its Ghana-based festival in December.
Afro Nation Portugal 2023 is also set to take place in Portimão from June 28-30, and its lineup has yet to be announced.
See the Afro Nation Miami 2023 lineup below.
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