Shaboozey and Lindsey Stirling Join Lainey Wilson for NFL Thanksgiving Day Halftime Shows

Shaboozey and Lindsey Stirling will join Lainey Wilson in providing halftime entertainment for the trio of National Football League games that take over television on Thanksgiving.

Wilson had been previously announced as the entertainment for the Dallas Cowboys’ annual Thanksgiving Day game, which will be against the New York Giants on Fox. Shaboozey will perform when the Detroit Lions take on the Chicago Bears on CBS and Stirling will take the stage in Green Bay, Wisconsin as the Packers play the Miami Dolphins on NBC.

Each artist will perform for six minutes and follow up last year’s trio of Dolly Parton (Dallas Cowboys), Jack Harlow (Detroit Lions) and Steve Aoki (Seattle Seahawks). Combined, the games typically draw well north of 100 million, making the day’s three halftime shows the most watched music events on television other than the Super Bowl.

“Thanksgiving football is an iconic tradition in this country, and I’m hyped to be a part of it this year,” Shaboozey tells Billboard. “The Detroit Lions season has been pretty epic so far, and I’m excited to tap into that crazy energy their fans bring to Ford Field. I can’t wait for America to see the show we’ve been working on for y’all.”

Seth Dudowsky, head of music at the NFL adds that the League works directly with the individual teams and broadcast partners to select the talent for the shows: “The NFL on Thanksgiving provides artists with a massive platform that continues to grow, and we know this year’s games will bring another unforgettable day of football, music, and unifying moments for fans watching across the country and around the world.”

The Lions have hosted a Thanksgiving Day game every year since 1934, and the Cowboys since 1966. In 2006, the NFL added a third Thanksgiving game in prime time, with the match-up changing annually. 

Wilson is the reigning CMA Awards and ACM Awards entertainer of the year, while Shaboozey has had the longest No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 this year with his juggernaut, “The Bar Song (Tipsy).” Two-time Billboard Music Awards winner and former America’s Got Talent finalist Stirling is an electric violinist and dancer.