If you're sitting on your couch in Los Angeles or Seattle, staring at the clock and wondering exactly when Kendrick Lamar is going to hit that stage, you aren't alone. The timing of the Super Bowl is notoriously slippery. We all know the game starts at 3:30 PM PST, but the "halftime" part is never as simple as just checking a watch.
Honestly, it’s a bit of a moving target.
For Super Bowl LIX, held on February 9, 2025, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, the what time is halftime show 2025 pst question usually lands on one specific window: roughly 5:00 PM to 5:30 PM PST.
But why is there a window instead of a set time? Because football is chaotic. A few long injury timeouts or a flurry of incomplete passes in the second quarter can push the concert back twenty minutes. Conversely, a run-heavy game where the clock never stops might bring Kendrick out earlier than you’d expect.
When to Actually Tune In for the 2025 Halftime Show
The NFL officially kicked off the game at 3:30 PM PST. Most years, the first half of the Super Bowl takes about 90 minutes to two hours of real-time to complete. This isn't your average Sunday night game; the commercials are longer, the ceremonies are grander, and the stakes make every official review feel like an eternity.
If you want to be safe, you’ve basically got to be in front of the TV by 5:00 PM PST.
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If the game moves quickly, the stage prep begins the second the clock hits zero in the second quarter. It takes about 10 minutes for hundreds of workers to assemble that massive stage on the turf.
- Kickoff: 3:30 PM PST
- Early Window for Halftime: 5:00 PM PST
- Likely Start Time: 5:15 PM PST
- Absolute Latest Start: 5:45 PM PST (unless there's a major delay)
K-Dot isn't known for being late, but the NFL's production schedule is a machine. You've probably noticed that the halftime show itself only lasts about 13 to 15 minutes. It's a sprint, not a marathon.
The New Orleans Factor
Hosting in the Big Easy adds a certain flavor to the schedule. New Orleans is famous for its "Laissez les bons temps rouler" (let the good times roll) attitude, but the NFL is a corporate beast that runs on Eastern Time logic. Even though the local kickoff in New Orleans was 5:30 PM CST, the West Coast has to do the math to stay caught up.
What Kendrick Lamar Brought to the Stage
There was a ton of drama leading up to this. Lil Wayne fans were, frankly, pretty upset that a New Orleans legend wasn't the headliner in his own city. But when Kendrick was announced, the energy shifted. Coming off a massive 2024 where "Not Like Us" dominated every radio station and club in the country, the pressure was on.
The 2025 show wasn't just a concert; it was a cultural statement.
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Kendrick didn't just stand there and rap. He turned the Superdome into a cinematic experience. We saw guest appearances that actually made sense, like SZA joining him for "All the Stars." It wasn't just a medley of hits; it felt like a narrative.
Why the PST Time Zone Gets the Best Deal
Let’s be real—West Coast viewers have it the best. While people in New York are watching the show during dinner and people in London are literally waking up in the middle of the night, PST viewers get the halftime show right in the sweet spot of the afternoon.
You’ve finished your first round of wings. The sun is starting to set. It’s the perfect time for a 15-minute high-energy hip-hop set before the second half stress kicks in.
Technical Logistics: How FOX Handled the Stream
The broadcast was on FOX this year. If you were trying to find what time is halftime show 2025 pst because you were planning to stream it, you likely used the FOX Sports app or Tubi. One thing to keep in mind with streaming is the "digital lag."
Your neighbor with a cable box or an over-the-air antenna is going to scream "Not Like Us" about 30 seconds before your stream catches up.
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If you’re watching on a delay, the halftime show might "start" for you at 5:20 PM PST while the rest of the world is already halfway through the setlist. If you're on Twitter (or X, whatever we're calling it now) or in a group chat, mute your notifications. Nothing ruins the surprise of a guest cameo like a text message from your cousin in Jersey who saw it a minute ago.
Setlist Rumors vs. Reality
Everyone thought he would play the Drake diss tracks back-to-back for 13 minutes. He didn't.
Instead, the 2025 show was a balance. He respected the stage. He played the classics like "HUMBLE." and "Alright," but he also leaned into his newer GNX material. The production value was through the roof—rumor has it the stage alone cost millions more than the standard NFL budget, with Roc Nation and Apple Music footing the bill for the extra bells and whistles.
- Opening: "United in Grief" (Intro) / "DNA."
- The Peak: "Not Like Us" (The crowd went insane)
- The Vibe: "All the Stars" with SZA
- The Closer: "i" (The version with the extended soul outro)
Actionable Tips for Future Super Bowl Viewing
If you're reading this to prepare for next year or just to settle a bet about when things happened, here is the expert way to track the halftime start:
- Watch the Game Clock, Not the Wall Clock: When the second quarter hits the 2-minute warning, you have roughly 25 minutes until the music starts. This includes the end of the half and the stage setup.
- Check Social Media Trends: Look for the hashtag #AppleMusicHalftime. When the stage starts moving onto the field, the "techies" on social media will start posting photos. That is your 10-minute warning.
- Prepare the Snacks Early: Don't be the person in the kitchen heating up sliders when the headliner starts their first song. The show is only 13 minutes. If you miss the start, you've missed 10% of the entire performance.
- Audio Setup: Super Bowl halftime shows are mixed for surround sound. If you're watching on tiny TV speakers, you're doing it wrong. Boost the bass for a Kendrick show; his 2025 performance was heavy on the low end.
The what time is halftime show 2025 pst question is ultimately about being ready for that window between 5:00 and 5:30 PM. It’s the most-watched musical event of the year for a reason. Even if you aren't a football fan, the sheer scale of the production in New Orleans this year was something you couldn't afford to miss.
If you're looking back on this performance, the best way to relive it is through the official NFL YouTube channel, which usually uploads the high-definition cut within an hour of the live broadcast ending.