The National Football League’s Super Bowl is one of the most eagerly anticipated sporting events on the calendar. More than 100 million people globally tune into the Super Bowl’s broadcasts each year as the NFL’s top two teams battle for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
The Super Bowl has more to it than an intense game of football; it is when celebrities and Hollywood A-listers turn out in force, musical superstars take to the field to perform the world-famous halftime show, and a 30-second television advertisement costs several million dollars. Did the stars turn out for Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas over the weekend? You can bet your bottom dollar that they did.
The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs contested Super Bowl LVIII at the Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Las Vegas, Nevada, on February 11. Both teams were installed as Super Bowl favorites in their respective conferences on the best sports betting apps for California residents before the regular season kicked off in September 2023, making the game a clash of the Titans.
Global Icons Turn Out in Force in Las Vegas
Both teams are immensely popular, with each boasting dozens of celebrity supporters. Of course, one celebrity fan, the one and only Taylor Swift, has been spotted at more NFL games than any other in recent memory.
Swift began dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in September 2023 and has attended several of the Chiefs’ games during the season. There was no way Swift was going to miss her beau in action in American football’s biggest game despite her being in Tokyo, Japan, for the Asia leg of her “Eras Tour.” Swift hopped on a plane and made the 8,900-kilometer flight from Japan to Las Vegas to watch Kelce and his teammates in action.
Although Kelce failed to get on the scoresheet, he did receive nine passes for 93 yards and played his role in the Kansas City Chiefs becoming the first back-to-back Super Bowl champions since the New England Patriots achieved the feat in 2003 and 2004. Kelce managed to steal the limelight from his billionaire girlfriend, with television cameras spotting him bellowing at Chiefs’ head coach Andy Reid and later signing an awful rendition of Elvis Presley’s “Viva Las Vegas” while holding the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the game.
Die-hard football fans were worried that the Super Bowl would become the Taylor Swift Show, but television crews only panned to the 14-time Grammy winner a handful of times. Swift was seen cheering on her boyfriend, getting into the spirit by chugging a beer, then sharing a congratulatory kiss on the field after the game’s conclusion. Super Bowl LVIII is not the last time we will see Swift at a football game.
Jay-Z and Beyonce
Jay-Z regularly attends the Super Bowl. Not only is Jay-Z a football fan – he supports the Dallas Cowboys – but his Roc Nation entertainment agency is tasked with hosting the Super Bowl halftime show. Jay-Z was in the stands as Usher headlined the halftime show alongside Alicia Keys, will.i.am, Lil Jon, Ludacris, and others. Of course, wherever Jay-Z is found, Beyonce is rarely far away.
The pop princess was spotted in the Las Vegas crowd and was one of the few people and companies who paid an astronomical sum for a television advertisement during the halftime break. Beyonce featured in a Verizon ad before immediately announcing the second act of her Renaissance Trilogy, including its two lead singles, “Texas Hold’em” and “16 Carriages.”
Which Other Stars Were at Super Bowl LVIII?
A plethora of celebrities were among the 61,629-strong crowd in Las Vegas, not least Lady Gaga. Lady Gaga performed the halftime show in 2017 in Houston, Texas. Lady Gaga wore a sparkling 49ers jacket, showing her allegiance to the San Francisco team.
Justin Bieber and his wife Hailey danced away in the stands during Usher’s halftime performance, while Sir Paul McCartney, Ice Spice, and Lana Del Rey were also in attendance.
Celebrity-spotters were not limited to musicians because Hollywood A-lister Leonardo Di Caprio was in attendance. However, he tried his best to avoid the glare of the television cameras whenever they panned to him and showed him on the big screen. Jeff Goldblum was happy to smile for the cameras, even making a heart shape with his hands, while Paul Rudd and actress Blake Lively were seen soaking up the atmosphere.
Deadpool 3 Trailer Releases
The cameras panned to Lively, wife of Ryan Reynolds, after the trailer for “Deadpool 3”, officially known as “Deadpool & Wolverine,” aired on the big screens inside the Allegiant Stadium. Development for the movie began in November 2016 but was placed on hold after Disney acquired 20th Century Fox in March 2019. Another spanner was thrown into the works following the almost four-month SAG-AFTRA strike. However, everything is complete, and the film is set to be released to U.S. audiences on July 26, 2024.
Reynolds reprises his role as the titular Deadpool for the third installment of the series. Hugh Jackman features as James “Logan” Howlett, better known as “Wolverine,” in a move that promises to change the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Others starring in the upcoming Deadpool movie include Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni, Matthew Macfdayen, and Brianna Hildebrand.
Stars Aside, How Did Super Bowl LVIII Pan Out?
The celebrities and supporters of both teams were treated to one of the most exciting Super Bowl games in living memory. The San Francisco 49ers raced into a 10-0 lead and were set to capture their sixth NFL championship and first since 1994. However, the Kansas City Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes as their quarterback and the future Hall of Famer helped turn around the Chiefs’ fortunes.
The Chiefs went 13-10 ahead during the third quarter. The 49ers then went 16-13 in front with a touchdown, only to miss the extra point. The teams exchanged field goals, including one score by the Chiefs with three seconds remaining, to tie the game at 19-19, sending Super Bowl LVIII into overtime.
A 27-yard field goal by the 49ers with the clock running down looked to have sealed matters, but Mahomes threw a game-winning touchdown pass with only three seconds left on the clock to send the Vince Lombardi Trophy to Kansas City for the second consecutive year, much to the delight of Swift and her Swifties.
