Seven artists have publicly been linked to turning down a Super Bowl halftime opportunity, but the stories are not all equivalent: some describe headlining offers, others rely on a bandmate’s account or anonymous reporting, and Gloria Estefan declined a guest appearance rather than a chance to headline. Adele’s account also conflicts with the NFL and Pepsi’s statement that no formal offer was made. Those distinctions matter when weighing the list.
What counts as a refusal?
This list uses “refused” broadly for a reported declined invitation or appearance. It does not mean every artist received a formal offer to headline. The clearest accounts come from artists who described their own decisions; other cases depend on a bandmate’s recollection, a later interview reported secondhand, or anonymous sources. The opportunity type and evidence behind each story are noted below.
The seven artists
Adele: the 2017 show, with a formal-offer dispute
At a Los Angeles concert in August 2016, Adele said she would not perform at the 2017 Super Bowl, explaining that the show was “not about music” and that she could not dance. She also told the audience, “They were very kind, they did ask me, but I did say no.” The NFL and Pepsi then said they had spoken with artists but had not extended Adele—or anyone else—a formal offer. Her account supports saying she was asked; it does not establish that she received a formal offer. TIME’s account includes both sides of the discrepancy.
Rihanna: declined the 2019 show over Kaepernick
Rihanna confirmed that she turned down an offer to headline Super Bowl LIII in 2019. In the Vogue interview reported by ABC News, she connected the decision to solidarity with Colin Kaepernick and her objection to supporting an organization whose actions she opposed: “I just couldn’t be a sellout. I couldn’t be an enabler.” ABC News reported her explanation.
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Outkast: Big Boi said André 3000 objected to shortened songs
In 2015, Big Boi said Outkast had been invited to perform, but André 3000 did not want to cut songs short to fit broadcast time limits. Big Boi recalled André’s response as, “Nah, can’t do it.” This explanation is Big Boi’s account, not a separate public statement from André 3000. The Guardian reported Big Boi’s recollection.
Cardi B: turned down the 2019 performance in support of Kaepernick
Cardi B told the Associated Press that she received an offer to perform at the 2019 halftime show and declined in support of Colin Kaepernick. “I got to sacrifice a lot of money to perform. But there’s a man who sacrificed his job for us, so we got to stand behind him,” she said. Her decision concerned the halftime performance; it did not mean she avoided every other Super Bowl-week activity. The Associated Press report republished by CBS Philadelphia carries her explanation.
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Pink: later explanation, earlier anonymous negotiation report
Pink later said she turned down an opportunity to headline and described the scrutiny performers face: “Everybody that does it gets so persecuted.” She also said she probably would have taken a knee in support of Kaepernick. Separately, an earlier report based on anonymous sources said negotiations with Pink and Rihanna continued so long that both moved on; it also said Kaepernick was not raised in those early discussions. Those are distinct accounts, not a single confirmed timeline. Mental Floss summarized Pink’s later comments, while Entertainment Tonight reported the earlier anonymous-source account.
Jay-Z: later account of a conditional proposal
Jay-Z later described turning down a proposed halftime performance after being asked to bring Rihanna and Kanye West to perform “Run This Town.” As reported by Mental Floss from a 2020 New York Times interview, he objected to the condition: “That is not how you go about it, telling someone that they’re going to do the halftime show contingent on who they bring. I said forget it. It was a principle thing.” This is a reported account of his interview, rather than an independently confirmed account of the proposal. Mental Floss provides the summary.
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Gloria Estefan: declined joining the 2020 performers
Estefan said she chose not to join Jennifer Lopez and Shakira during the 2020 halftime show. She joked, “I didn’t want to go on a diet in December.” This makes her a qualified seventh example of someone who declined to perform as part of a show—not evidence that she turned down a headlining offer. Mental Floss reported her comments.
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- Artists’ own accounts: Rihanna and Cardi B publicly described turning down the 2019 opportunity and tied their decisions to Kaepernick. Pink later gave her own explanation, while Adele described being asked but faced a formal-offer denial from the NFL and Pepsi.
- Accounts with another evidentiary step: Outkast’s reason comes from Big Boi’s recollection; Jay-Z’s story is reported through a later interview summary; and the early Pink–Rihanna negotiation detail rests on anonymous sources.
- Different opportunity: Estefan declined a guest appearance, not a reported headlining offer.
One recent rumor is not part of this list: the Associated Press reported that Taylor Swift said she had not turned down an official offer for the 2026 halftime show, describing informal feelers as neither an official offer nor a formal conversation. AP’s report explains the distinction.
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