Taylor Swift opens up about why she won't be performing at Super Bowl Halftime Show: "I'm just too locked in"

On the October 6 episode of The Tonight Show, Jimmy Fallon ran through a series of popular rumours and asked Taylor Swift to confirm or deny each one.

Pop star Taylor Swift recently appeared on the latest episode of The Tonight Show, hosted by Jimmy Fallon, and during the interview, she revealed why she won't perform at the Super Bowl halftime show.

On the October 6 episode of The Tonight Show, Jimmy Fallon ran through a series of popular rumours and asked Taylor Swift to confirm or deny each one.

During the lighthearted segment, Jimmy asked her whether she plans to headline the Super Bowl halftime show someday. This has been a long-time speculation since her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce began.

Responding to the question, Taylor said, "No" and further explained, "Jay-Z has always been very good to me. Our teams are very close. They sometimes will call and say how does she feel about... and that's not an official offer or a conference room conversation. We're always able to tell him the truth, which is that I am in love with a guy who does that sport on that actual field."

The 25-year-old singer continued, "That is violent chess. That is gladiators without swords. That is dangerous. The whole season I am locked in on what that man is doing on the field. Can you imagine if he's out there every single week putting his life on the line, doing this very dangerous, very high-pressure, high-intensity sport, and I'm like, 'I wonder what my choreo should be. I think we should do two verses of 'Shake it Off' into 'Blank Space' into 'Cruel Summer' would be great.'"

"This is nothing to do with Travis, he would love for me to do it. I'm just too locked in," Taylor clarified.

Taylor Swift has been a familiar face at NFL games ever since she began dating Travis Kelce, who even joined her in promoting her latest album The Life of a Showgirl. Earlier this year, Kelce invited Swift onto his podcast, where she officially announced the album to the world.

Also read: Taylor Swift responds to rumours about her quitting music after marriage to Travis Kelce

Over the past decade, the Super Bowl has featured several major stars as halftime headliners, including Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, The Weeknd, Rihanna, and Kendrick Lamar. Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny is set to headline the 2026 edition of the event.

Swift is currently at the peak of her career with The Life of a Showgirl, which was released on October 3. Just a day after its debut, the album shattered multiple records, including becoming the most-streamed album in a single day on Spotify in 2025.