Super Bowl XLVIII halftime show
Bruno Mars headlined the most-watched Super Bowl halftime show to date.
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The Super Bowl XLVIII halftime show took place on February 2, 2014, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, headlined by Bruno Mars and his band The Hooligans, with special guests The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Produced by Ricky Kirshner and directed by Hamish Hamilton, the Fox telecast attracted 115.3 million viewers, making it the most-watched Super Bowl halftime show at the time, later surpassed by the Super Bowl XLIX, Super Bowl 50, and Super Bowl LI halftime shows.
- Date
- February 2, 2014
- Venue
- MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
- Headliner
- Bruno Mars with The Hooligans
- Special guests
- Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Viewership
- 115.3 million
- Emmy nominations
- Two (Outstanding Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Program; Outstanding Lighting Design / Lighting Direction for a Variety Special)
- Tweets generated
- 2.2 million
Lore & Background
Bruno Mars was confirmed as the lead halftime performer in September 2013 during a Fox NFL Sunday broadcast from Times Square. The NFL's entertainment team began working with Mars and his management on the set list around Thanksgiving week, spending the remainder of 2013 mapping out production, staging, and the guest list. In January 2014, it was announced that Mars had personally invited the Red Hot Chili Peppers to perform as special guests. During rehearsals, disagreements arose between Mars and the NFL regarding the use of light-up bracelets for the audience; Mars argued that removing the camera from him would be a disservice, and the bracelets ultimately did not work as intended. Mars stated that every smoke machine and laser light was just a bonus, and that the performance would always be the best they could do regardless of lighting or budget.
Reader's Guide
The Super Bowl XLVIII halftime show marked Bruno Mars as the youngest artist ever to serve as the sole NFL Super Bowl halftime headliner. He opened with a drum solo on a kit designed to honor his late mother, Bernadette Hernandez, and performed 'Just the Way You Are' backed by the biggest firework display in NFL Super Bowl history. The show received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Critical reception was highly positive for Mars, while the Red Hot Chili Peppers' appearance drew mixed to negative reviews, with some critics calling their presence 'random and unnecessary.' A controversy arose after the performance when viewers and fellow musicians accused the Red Hot Chili Peppers of faking their instrumental performance; bassist Flea confirmed that the bass, drums, and guitar were pre-recorded per NFL policy, though vocals were live. The show's audience of 115.3 million viewers set a record that was later surpassed by subsequent Super Bowl halftime shows.
Did You Know?
- The halftime show generated 2.2 million tweets, driven by interest for tickets to Mars' Moonshine Jungle Tour.
- Montreal-based firm PixMob provided audience lighting effects using 'video ski hats' with LEDs and infrared receivers.
- The Red Hot Chili Peppers' instrumental track was pre-recorded per NFL policy, though vocals were performed live.
Elsewhere in Red Hot Chili Peppers
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