After decades at the top of pop music, the Backstreet Boys have thrown their hat into the ring for one of music’s biggest stages: the Super Bowl Halftime Show. During a recent performance in Las Vegas, the iconic boy band openly expressed their desire to headline the 2027 Super Bowl halftime show, a move that drew major fan excitement and sparked fresh buzz about their legacy and cultural relevance.
The entertainment world is still talking about **** — the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show headlined by Bad Bunny, which set streaming and viewership records. Riding that momentum and nostalgia, the Backstreet Boys are now aiming to secure a spot at the following year’s event, which will take place at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on February 14, 2027.
During their “Into The Millennium” residency show at the Sphere in Las Vegas, band member AJ McLean took a moment to address the crowd with a glance toward the future:
“What do you guys think? Backstreet Boys… 2027… Super Bowl halftime? Let’s make it happen! I mean, why not? It’s in LA, right down the street…”
The audience response was immediate and deafening — a clear cheer of approval that ignited social media discussions and fan campaigns almost instantly.
Fans online have rallied behind the idea, pushing petitions and hashtags calling on the NFL to consider the group for halftime. Many point to the fact that next year will mark major anniversary milestones for the band and their greatest hits, which continue to enjoy enduring popularity.
The Backstreet Boys already have Super Bowl history, albeit not in the halftime spotlight. In 2001, they were approached to headline the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXV, but they declined and instead performed the national anthem before kickoff.
At the time, Nick Carter later explained the decision by saying they “loved the Whitney Houston rendition of the national anthem” and chose the patriotic moment over a halftime slot — a move that marked them as the first major pop group to take on the anthem at a Super Bowl.
That appearance was memorable not just for the performance but for the context: the early 2000s pop era was in full swing, and the Backstreet Boys, then at the peak of their fame, opted for tradition over spectacle.
A 2027 Super Bowl performance would tap into several powerful trends:
- Millennial nostalgia for 1990s and early-2000s pop.
- The band’s ongoing popularity fueled by tours, Vegas residencies and dedicated fanbases.
- A growing appetite among audiences for legacy acts to headline massive cultural moments.
Fans and commentators alike have pointed out that a “boy band-themed” halftime show — potentially including acts like *NSYNC, New Kids on the Block, or other pop contemporaries — would evoke a celebratory throwback to the era that defined modern pop music.
There is no official announcement yet from the NFL regarding performers for the 2027 halftime show, and historically the league waits until closer to the new NFL season to reveal its plans.
But by publicly advocating for themselves — and with a loud, supportive reaction from fans — the Backstreet Boys have effectively launched a campaign for the opportunity. Whether the NFL and those responsible for halftime bookings will take the cue remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the group’s request has already captured attention and stirred serious conversation about one of pop culture’s biggest stages.
