Super Bowl halftime show: The Weeknd gives ‘brilliant’ performance with dancers in face bandages

'Blinding Lights' star has earned widespread praise for his performance

The Weeknd performs with dancers in face bandages at Super Bowl 2021 halftime show

The Weeknd has earned widespread praise for his performance during the 2021 Super Bowl halftime show.

The artist, real name Abel Tesfaye, was the first Canadian to headline solo at the event. He opened his performance on Sunday with the 2016 tune "Starboy". Shortly afterwards, viewers got a glimpse of The Weeknd with a group of dancers whose faces were wrapped in bandages – an aesthetic the artist has explored recently, which he views as a statement on celebrity.

The concert culminated when The Weeknd and a large group of bandaged dancers took over the field for a performance of "Blinding Lights" with an accompanying choreography. Viewers showered The Weeknd with praise on social media, deeming his show "brilliant" and "amazing".

The Independent gave the performance a 4.5-star review, deeming it "a thoroughly produced, brilliantly escapist 10 minutes" that "helped a deeply divided country – however briefly – dance away the pain of this past year".

Earlier in the evening, country star Eric Church and R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan performed the national anthem, while R&B artist HER was on hand to sing “America the Beautiful”. Their performances were also met with appreciation on social media.

Poet Amanda Gorman, who read during Joe Biden's presidential inauguration last month, read a poem during pre-show festivities, paying tribute to a teacher, a nurse, and a Marine Corps veteran during the coronavirus pandemic. Viewers called her performance as "phenomenal", "uplifting", and "inspirational".

In the afternoon, Miley Cyrus performed in front of selected healthcare workers for a special pre-game show. She was joined onstage by Billy Idol and Joan Jett.

Of course, this year's Super Bowl was also a chance for studios to debut high-profile trailers. The first teaser for M Night Shyamalan's Old was unveiled, as well as that of the anticipated Marvel series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

You can follow the 2021 Super Bowl as it happened thanks to our live blog below.

• The Weeknd halftime show review
• Artists and fans react to The Weeknd's halftime show
• What happened to The Weeknd's face?
• The 10 best Super Bowl halftime performances

Key Points

• The Weeknd performs halftime show
• See photos of The Weeknd’s halfime show
• Marvel releases trailer for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
• Jazmine Sullivan and Eric Church sing national anthem
• Amanda Gorman reads poem

[8 February 2021 04:21 · Clemence Michallon]