A new year means a new Super Bowl to look forward to. Who'll be putting on the famous half-time show? Where is this year's game being hosted? What exciting American snacks and drinks can you enjoy for your Super Bowl party? And maybe least importantly, which teams will be playing? Rest easy, we've got all your buzzing Super Bowl 2026 questions covered below.
Hosting the Super Bowl is like the American equivalent of getting to host Eurovision — it's a giant deal. The event has been played in 19 different cities across the US, from Miami to New Orleans to Atlanta, and cities put in huge bids to be able to host, with the cost apparently racking up to around $100 million, when you factor in accommodation, security, production, emergency services, stadium services, etc. This year, Santa Clara in California won the bidding war.
Yup, this year, the Super Bowl will be heading to the sunny West Coast. In case you've never heard of it, Santa Clara is in the heart of Silicon Valley, where most of the world's tech companies are based: think Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Tesla — the list goes on. It's about 45-miles southeast of San Francisco and has hosted the game before, back in 2016.
The date for this year's Super Bowl is Sun, 8th Feb 2026. Kick off usually starts around 11.30 pm UK time, with the game often running on until 3.30 am, so if you need to put in an annual leave request at work for Monday, this is your sign.
In the past, we've seen incredible stars take on the Super Bowl halftime show. Who can forget Beyoncé with her conversation-starting Black Panther-themed performance? Or a very pregnant Rihanna dancing up a storm while 60 feet in the air? And last year's double-denim Kendrick Lamar was one for the history books.
Love them.
This year, we'll be treated with not one… not two… but five names to keep us entertained. Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny was announced as the halftime act back in September 2025, but Green Day, Brandi Carlile, Charlie Puth and Coco Jones will also be singing in the show, making it a varied but exciting line-up.
The Grammy award-winning rock band Green Day will perform as this year's hometown act this year, with Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool hailing from the East Bay area.
“We are super hyped to open Super Bowl 60 right in our backyard!”, said lead singer Armstrong said. “We are honoured to welcome the MVPs who’ve shaped the game and open the night for fans all over the world. Let’s have fun! Let’s get loud!”
Is it apt for a band that created the song American Idiot to be performing during the current presidency? That's not for us to say. But the band has always been provocative and outspoken, so we wouldn't be surprised if they might make some sort of protest.
The crowd’s disparate reactions to Swift and Trump felt like a chilling microcosm of our culture.
After all, the Super Bowl halftime show has historically been a place for artists to take a stand on social issues. From a simple music standpoint, we're sure they're going to put on an energy-packed show.
The teams haven't yet been decided, with games leading up to the big event determining who will go head-to-head. At the time of writing, four total teams are in contention for the top spots following some dramatic games over the weekend.
The teams that will be battling it out of the two final spots include: the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos out of the AFC, and the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks out of the NFC. Right now, it's anyone's game.
Until we find out, we'll be working hard on curating the perfect Super Bowl party playlist. Top of the list: Bad Bunny and Green Day.
