Editor’s note: traveling for specific events is definitely a thing, and the Super Bowl is one that is on many sports fans’ lifetime bucket list. In this article, TRT writer Morgan teaches us how to see the Super Bowl for FREE (or at least the halftime show) by working the halftime show. For more of her writing, specifically about geology-related travel, be sure to click here to visit her index page.
After the addictive adrenaline rush of standing on the Levi’s Stadium grass and basking in the deafening, chaotic celebration of Bad Bunny’s record-setting 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show in Santa Clara, California, I want to share how it’s possible for The Royal Tour readers to become part of the destination show that mesmerizes millions of global viewers each year.
Why Should You Work the Halftime Show?
Going to the Super Bowl as an audience member is expensive (thousands of dollars for even the worst nosebleed seat), but working the show actually pays. It’s a great reason to travel to the Super Bowl host city, get to experience the festivities, and not break the bank.
Additionally, you’ve got a minuscule chance of meeting the musical artists and creative minds behind the show as an audience member, but as a team member, you’re potentially running into these legends on a daily basis for an entire two weeks. I’ve said a quick hello to Ricky Martin and Eminem; exchanged waves with Dr. Dre and Cardi B; and had fascinating “what’s it like to have your job” chats with acrobats, dancers, production carpenters, costumers, and, you guessed it, people in grass costumes.
In attendance, you see the show once, but those of us on the crew see it over and over – including all of the special guests, song choices, and even the costumes, which we get to see in detail at the dress rehearsal. There’s just a certain je ne sais quoi about seeing the show finally come alive in front of so many screaming fans – and seeing that from just a few feet away.
Ultimately, though, keep this in mind: we don’t get to see the Super Bowl game itself, other than potentially the last two minutes of the first half (where I saw a near-touchdown from the sideline at my first halftime show in 2022). We are there to work, and while the work can be fun, we’re not present as spectators, and we’re quickly escorted out of the stadium after our work is completed.
What the Super Bowl Halftime Show Field Team Job Entails
The NFL allows 5-7 minutes to transform the football field into a world-class stage without damaging any grass, then 5-7 minutes to restore it back into a football field that looks and functions as if a show never took place. It seems impossible every time, especially as the stages and shows get more complex. That stage arrives on the field via human power every single time; that’s the job of the field team.
We manually heave and drag the stage, speakers, cables, and props into their respective positions.
To be more specific about my role for Super Bowl LX in 2026, our team of 15 + 1 cart leader pushed the stubbornly heavy chunk of the stage that held two power poles. The poles laid flat for transport to fit through the Levi’s Stadium tunnels. Once we reached our mark (the Patriots’ 22-yard line) and scurried to the sidelines, the cart with the other two poles arrived (via, you guessed it, another group of grunts pushing and, well, grunting) and locked in to ours. More qualified professionals ratcheted the two portions together, then hand-cranked winches to raise the poles to their full heights and secure them. The pyro team made sure we didn’t blow ourselves up along the way, since our cart had live explosives attached. As the 300+ sugar cane folks wobbled their grassy selves in and dancers and musicians posed for the first note, stunt riggers secured the lines and belays for the stunt people who’d be up on our cart’s poles performing their cutting-edge acrobatic stunts in harnesses and straw hats.
Our cart and its contents shifted, adjusted, constructed, and deconstructed multiple times throughout the weeks of rehearsals before the big day. We wiped ashes from the pyrotechnics off our shoulders, spat out fake grass, and tried to not get run over by hundreds of pounds of metal as we moved the cart back and forth over and over, using our collective bodyweight to shift, rearrange, and make sure the cart’s wheels pointed the right direction for ease of movement.
Before 2026, I also participated in the halftime show in 2022, where Dr. Dre, Snoop Dog, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, and 50 cent wowed Los Angeles at Super Bowl LVI.
For that show, I pushed a much smaller (and thankfully lighter) cart – one that contained only a set of speakers that makes the bass vibrate deeply through the audience’s internal organs. This speaker set arrived at the corner of the stage near where Eminem blasted through a wall set piece. After hitting its mark, the speaker needed its power connected. The industrial power cables weigh hundreds of pounds, and our team uncoiled them by hand. Three of us dragged the heavy black loops down the sideline, avoiding the NFL’s medical carts, other field team members, and everyone else on the way. My final pre-show job after uncoiling all the cables was to plug in two of the power cables. Backup cables dangled from critical locations just in case.
The field team spends the duration of the show on the sidelines, standing or kneeling out of the way, basking in the world-class spectacle created by 1000+ people from all walks of life gelling together as a safe and well-oiled machine.
As soon as the show ends, the field team pounces back into action and reverses the entire setup. We’ve got another 5-7 minutes to get the field back to playing condition, as well as make room for the players (especially the kickers) to warm back up. We’re coiling and unplugging heavy cables, winching down the power poles and disconnecting carts, then running them off the grass and back into the tunnels, as fast as we can.
Other Super Bowl Opportunities
While I’ve never signed up for any, the field team position comes with multiple optional shifts to make some additional money and see more of the behind-the-scenes work of the Super Bowl. We’re consistently offered spots at the pre-game show (this year’s artist was Green Day, who had their own small stage setup. The pre-game field team also became Green Day’s stagefront audience, complete with foam fingers and colorful streamers). There are opportunities to support the production of the National Anthem’s performance, as well as shifts for Pixmob: going through the stadium seats and adding test lights for the stadium-wide display during the show.
This year’s casting calls also included field cast, the sugarcane-clad participants fondly known as grass people, with a specific height minimum of 5’7” (which I’m not), hired through a similar process to the field team.
Lodging, Travel, and Food for the Super Bowl Halftime Show Crew
Bottom line: lodging and travel aren’t included. If you want to join the field team, your expenses are on you. You’ll typically need to travel to, then find lodging for, a 2-week period before the Super Bowl in the host city. While you may be able to find somewhat affordable lodging in the area for the rehearsal schedule, the night before and night of the game tend to spike in price significantly. For this reason, it works well if you can stay with someone you know during those two weeks. If not, the field team has a large social media group where team members share lodging opportunities with each other, including splitting homeshares or hotel suites.
Food, however, is somewhat less of a challenge; every practice includes a meal. If you have dietary restrictions, the organizers will definitely accommodate those. The food typically consists of a meal catering kit from somewhere like Panera, Jimmy John’s, or Mendocino Farms. Your other meals, though, are on your own.
If you start to participate more regularly, you’ll likely become close friends with other regulars who might be great roommates or travel buddies for future shows.
How Do I Apply to Work The Super Bowl Halftime Show?
Each year, applications for the show open up around November at this website. Once applications are open, you’ll create an account with Backlit, the casting company that runs the logistics. Through the Backlit portal you’ll confirm your eligibility to work in the US, as well as other important agreements. If all goes well, you’ll receive a link to complete a background check and legal paperwork.
If you’re thinking of planning your travel already, here are the upcoming Super Bowl locations:
2027 Super Bowl LXI: Los Angeles, California
2028 Super Bowl LXII: Atlanta, Georgia
2029 Super Bowl LXIII: Las Vegas, Nevada (unconfirmed as of date of publication)
The Super Bowl halftime show is one of the most-watched events in the entire world; traveling to be a part of the production is an unmatched experience.
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