Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show: The High-Stakes of Rigging Design

As we gear up for a new NFL season, we look back at this year's Super Bowl rigging design:

The Super Bowl halftime show is one of the most notable performances of the year, attracting hundreds of millions of viewers around the world. But the show is more than just a performance—it’s an unforgettable spectacle that combines music, choreography and cutting-edge technology. 

Super Bowl LIX was held on February 9 at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, with the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles facing off and the halftime show headlined by Kendrick Lamar with special guest SZA. 

Behind the dazzling lights, pyrotechnics and seamless choreography, there’s a massive effort that begins months before the big day. One of the most crucial aspects of the halftime show is the rigging—the intricate system of ropes, cables and pulleys that ensures everything from stage set-ups to special effects goes off without a hitch. 

See more of our Venue Concert & Event Rigging Experience

Our team had the honor of reviewing the rigging for this year’s halftime show by Lamar. Known for his lyrical genius and electrifying stage presence, Lamar delivered a performance that was both thought-provoking and explosive. But behind the scenes, our engineers and a large team worked together tirelessly to ensure that his vision—and the high-octane atmosphere of the halftime show—came to life flawlessly. 

Here’s a look through the lens of our involvement in this spectacular event: 

Rigging Engineering at the Super Bowl Halftime Show

Our team, led by Senior Principal Gary Storm and Senior Associate Scott Storm, was responsible for evaluating the capacity of the Superdome's roof structure and rigging grid and determining if the show could be rigged as proposed. We provided confirmation that the show’s rigging loads—approximately 275,000 pounds —could be accommodated as well as made additional safety recommendations. We have a 20-plus-year history of working at the venue, including the recently completed Caesars Superdome capital improvements project.

Though safety is our top priority, it’s also important to ensure that all the audiovisual elements are held high and tight to the roof to avoid obstructing the sightlines of the big game. We collaborated closely with the rigging crew, lighting designers and choreography experts to bring Lamar's artistic vision to reality. 

This year, viewers witnessed even more advanced rigging technologies than ever before, and, with the show’s history of surprise appearances and jaw-dropping special effects, there’s no doubt that Super Bowl LIX's halftime show raised the bar in both spectacle and technical mastery. 

Prior Rigging Work: From the VMAs to Beyoncé

We are an industry-leading expert in venue concert and rigging engineering, having completed more than 1,500 rigging analyses and maintaining more than 35 ongoing venue relationships. We've provided structural rigging load-evaluation services for many large touring shows and special events at venues across the country, including the Country Music Awards, previous Super Bowl halftime shows, WWE matches, NCAA Final Fours and concerts featuring Metallica, Paul McCartney, Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé and many more. 

A recently completed project—with a similar scope to the Super Bowl show, albeit set within different circumstances—was our work on the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards. While most eyes were on the celebrities on stage, just above the performers was another star—the MTV iconic Moonman hanging from the roof of UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, along with nearly 400,000 pounds of video, sound and lighting equipment. We provided rigging services for music’s big night out, performing analyses and a loads-imposed check, as well as some cursory checks on custom-built temporary stage structures at the arena, for which Thornton Tomasetti was the structural engineer. 

Our team’s experience in handling such high-profile events ensures that we can deliver top-notch results every time. 

Bringing a Personal Touch to Venue Concert & Event Rigging

This Super Bowl project was a family affair, led by Gary along with his son Scott managing our scope of the project. On site visits, Scott took numerous photos of a temporary structure that we peer-reviewed and he also captured several images of the field painting process because his 9-year-old daughter is very curious about how it all works—perhaps a future member of the next generation of engineers focused on sports venue and rigging design. 

When the world tuned in to watch Super Bowl LIX, they saw more than just an artist on stage—they witnessed months of preparation and collaboration, with our engineers and rigging teams working behind the scenes to make sure every moment of the halftime show was executed flawlessly. So, while Kendrick Lamar is undoubtedly the star, it’s the technical mastery that made the magic happen. 

We take pride in our ability to handle complex rigging projects for major events. Our attention to detail and commitment to safety ensures that every show goes off without a hitch.