Celebrities including Taylor Swift, Jay-Z, Sir Paul McCartney and Bradley Cooper were out in force for arguably America’s biggest sporting event of the year – the Super Bowl – as the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22.
But it wasn’t just the stars of music and acting who were among the crowds at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Sunday.
Donald Trump made history by becoming the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl.
Taylor Swift speaks to musician and actress Alana Haim in the stands. Pic: Reuters
He walked on to the pitch before the game to meet families of the victims of the New Year’s Day terror attack in the city, as well as police and other emergency personnel.
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Mr Trump met relatives of the victims of the New Year’s Day attack, as well as police and other emergency personnel. Pic: Reuters
Fourteen people were killed and dozens of others injured when US Army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a pick-up truck into crowds on Bourbon Street early on 1 January. He was then shot dead by police.
When Mr Trump entered the stadium, he was greeted with a mix of cheers and boos from the crowd.
He watched Super Bowl 59 from a box, along with his daughter Ivanka and son Eric, as well as several politicians who accompanied him on Air Force One to New Orleans. First Lady Melania Trump did not attend.
President Trump, alongside his daughter Ivanka, during the national anthem. Pic: Reuters
Trump’s previous criticism of NFL
During his first term in office, Mr Trump criticised the National Football League (NFL) and its members after black players kneeled during the US national anthem to bring attention to racial injustice.
For Sunday’s game, the league put the phrase “Choose Love” behind one of the end zones. It replaced the previous phrase “End Racism”, which has been used since 2021.
Famous faces
Stars in the stands included Taylor Swift, Jay-Z and former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, as well as Hollywood stars Adam Sandler, Paul Rudd and Kevin Costner.
Taylor Swift seen in the stands. Pic: Reuters
Pop superstar Swift was there to cheer on her boyfriend Travis Kelce, who plays for the Kansas City Chiefs. The team were trying to win their third Super Bowl title in a row.
When the singer’s face appeared on the Jumbotron, some Eagles fans started booing her.
Swift had endorsed Mr Trump’s rival Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
The half-time show
One of the most famous parts of the Super Bowl is the half-time show, which this year was headlined by rapper Kendrick Lamar.
Hollywood actor Samuel L Jackson, dressed as Uncle Sam, opened for the musician.
Samuel L Jackson took part in the half-time show. Pic: AP
Lamar did a string of hits alongside singer-songwriter SZA.
Kendrick Lamar performs during the half-time show. Pic: AP
Lamar performed Humble, which featured a group of dancers in red, white and blue, forming an American flag. He went on to do Toxic Love with SZA.
Lamar also teased a performance of his Drake diss track Not Like Us.
“I wanna play their favourite song but you know they love to sue,” Lamar told the women dancers behind him, referencing Drake and the current lawsuits around the song.
He went on to perform the track which was named song and record of the year at the Grammys last weekend.
Drake is suing Universal Music Group for defamation and harassment, over its release of Not Like Us last year.
He has claimed the track contained defamatory content accusing him of serious misconduct.
What about the TV adverts?
There were around 80 Super Bowl advertising slots and some cost a record $8m for 30 seconds this year.
Among the adverts, football star David Beckham and actor Matt Damon were long-lost twins who bonded over a beer, while Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal re-enacted their famous deli scene from 1989’s When Harry Met Sally, except this time Sally was expressing her enthusiasm for mayonnaise.
Also, celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and comedian Pete Davidson teamed up for a cookware commercial, and The Muppets searched for accommodations with a booking site.
