Taylor Swift has arrived at the 2024 Super Bowl game to support her Kansas City Chiefs boyfriend Travis Kelce.
The US megastar travelled from Japan, where she played four consecutive shows at the Tokyo Dome as part of her Eras Tour, to the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, to watch the Chiefs face off against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
Swift arrived at the stadium wearing an all-black outfit with a red jacket draped over her shoulder, alongside actress Blake Lively, rapper Ice Spice, and her mother Andrea Swift.
Taylor Swift is here with Ice Spice and Blake Lively! #SBLVIII pic.twitter.com/0x4XIDRupW
— NFL (@NFL) February 11, 2024
The 34-year-old pop superstar was seen talking to the commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell, while Kelce’s mother Donna was also sitting in the box, and US actor Paul Rudd appeared on the field sporting a moustache.
Also on the field before the game was US rapper Jay-Z with his daughters Blue Ivy and Rumi. Singer Luke Combs and basketball players LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal also appeared.
Kelce and the Chiefs, led by Patrick Mahomes, are appearing in their fourth Super Bowl in five years and are looking to become the first team to win back-to-back titles since Tom Brady’s New England Patriots in 2005.
Jay-Z and his daughters. ❤️ #SBLVIII pic.twitter.com/apsNxaduxZ
— NFL (@NFL) February 11, 2024
Swift’s romance with Kelce has been credited with generating greater global interest in the National Football League (NFL), particularly from women.
Last month photographs of the couple kissing went viral as Swift celebrated on the field after the Chiefs triumphed over the Baltimore Ravens, defeating the team 17-10 at the MT Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
On Sunday, R&B star Usher will headline the coveted half-time slot.
The eight-time Grammy winner said he will be roller skating during the show, and hinted that he will be sharing the stage with “special guests” with whom he has collaborated before.
Fans have speculated on names including Alicia Keys, Lil Jon, Ludacris, Beyonce and Justin Bieber.
Usher said he has woven “two special things” into his slot which speak to “culture, quality and creativity”.
The 45-year-old also said that a camera crew had been documenting the experience, from when he got the first call to when he walks off the prestigious stage.
Usher, whose latest album Coming Home was released on Friday, follows in the footsteps of pop star Rihanna, who used her 2023 half-time performance to debut her second pregnancy.
The performance will mark 30 years since Usher released his debut self-titled album.
A decade later, his record Confessions soared to number one on both sides of the Atlantic and featured some of his biggest hits including Yeah!, Burn, and Confessions Part II.
He recently announced North American tour dates and said worldwide dates are to come, sparking speculation he could be heading to the UK.
In September 2023, Usher brought in reality star Kim Kardashian to announce his title slot during the annual NFL championship game in a video that was shared on social media.
In the days before the performance he was seen stripping down to his pants in a campaign for Skims, an underwear company founded by Kardashian.
Usher, who has been a coach on the US version of The Voice, has had four chart-topping tracks in the UK singles chart with songs including OMG featuring Will.i.am.
He has also dipped his toe into the world of acting, appearing in films including Hustlers and Light It Up, as well as teen show Moesha and horror movie The Faculty.
In recent months he finished a residency in Las Vegas, which followed his eight-night residency at La Seine Musicale in Paris, which ended in October.