When is the Super Bowl 2026? Here's what to know about American football's biggest game

You might have heard a lot of chatter about American football in recent days.

That's because Super Bowl Sunday — the season finale of the NFL — is just around the corner.

As usual, with that comes a full reel of hilarious commercials, a smattering of celebrity sightings and two teams facing off for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Here's everything you need to know about the Super Bowl, including when it will start, how to watch, and who you'll see on the stage at half-time.

We'll start with the sport itself, but if you're just here for the entertainment news, use this link to jump ahead.

When is the Super Bowl?

Super Bowl LX will be played at 3:30pm on Sunday, February 8, local time.

For all of us here in Australia, that will fall on the morning of Monday, February 9.

Here are the exact start times for each state and territory:

7:30am AWST: Western Australia

9:00am ACST: Northern Territory

9:30am AEST: Queensland

10am ACDT: South Australia

10:30am AEDT: New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and Tasmania

How to watch the Super Bowl in Australia

It will be broadcast on free-to-air TV on Channel 7, and on its online streaming platform 7plus.

You can also catch it on Disney+, KAYO, Foxtel's ESPN channel, or DAZN if you purchase an NFL Game Pass.

ABC Sport will be running a live blog of Super Bowl LX on the day.

Based on previous years, streaming services lag about 40 seconds behind what's on the field. Compare that to cable, satellite or antenna TV, where there's usually a transmission delay of about 5 seconds.

Who is playing?

The New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks.

It will be a rematch of the 2015 Super Bowl, which the Patriots won 28-24.

The Patriots were the first to qualify for the Super Bowl, on January 25.

They beat the Denver Broncos in a snowy AFC Championship game at the Mile High Stadium, which is known for its dizzying altitude, for their spot in the game, scraping out with a 10-7 score.

Later that day, the Seahawks went up against the Los Angeles Rams in a blockbuster NFC Championship game at home.

They triumphed with a final score of 31-27 on the board.

Which team should I support?

It's really up to you — there is a great case for rooting for either team this year.

Both entered the season as underdogs, but have proven to be worthy Super Bowl participants after finishing the regular season with records of 14-3, winning their respective divisions, then claiming nail-biting victories in their conference championship games.

So whether you want to decide based on your favourite colours, celebrity supporters or season performance, let's take a look at what sets the two apart.

Who is Michael Dickson, the Australian playing in the Super Bowl?

Seattle Seahawks punter Michael Dickson has the chance to become the second Australian to win a Super Bowl.

Sydney-born Dickson is in his eighth season in the NFL, after being drafted by the Seahawks in 2018.

Dickson, 30, was a promising Aussie rules player and was part of the Sydney Swans Academy before moving to the United States to play college football.

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He played three years of college football in the US, playing for the University of Texas.

Dickson has proven to be one of the NFL's finest punters, maximising his brief moments on the field.

The Australian signed a four-year contract extension with the Seahawks in 2025, with $US10.2 million ($14.57 million) guaranteed.

Dickson has been named to the NFL Pro Bowl (2018), a first-team All-Pro (2018) and second-team All-Pro (2025).

As part of the franchise's 50th anniversary in 2025, Dickson was named as one of the top 50 players in its history.

Should the Seahawks win on Monday, Dickson will join Jordan Mailata as the only Australians to win a Super Bowl.

Mailata, an offensive tackle, was a starter for the Philadelphia Eagles when they defeated the Kansas CIty Chiefs in last year's Super Bowl.

Where is the Super Bowl being played?

The 60th Super Bowl will be played at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

It's the home ground of the San Francisco 49ers, who were knocked out of the play-offs by the Seahawks in the Divisional Round.

This will be the second Super Bowl hosted at Levi's Stadium, which has a capacity of 68,500 — slightly bigger than Perth Stadium.

What time is the half-time show?

It's scheduled to begin between 5:00pm and 5:30 pm, local time, depending on how long the first half of the game takes.

In Australia, that should be any time from:

9:00am AWST: Western Australia

10:30am ACST: Northern Territory

11:00am AEST: Queensland

11:30am ACDT: South Australia

12:00pm AEDT: New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and Tasmania

Who is playing the half-time show?

The Super Bowl's half-time show tends to be a headline-maker, but the artist picked for this year's edition has been making waves even before setting on stage.

The NFL announced in September that Bad Bunny would be performing this year's show.

It will be the first time a Latino and Spanish-speaking artist has led the iconic slot as a solo act.

"What I'm feeling goes beyond myself," Bad Bunny said in a statement at the time of the announcement.

"It's for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown … this is for my people, my culture, and our history. Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el HALFTIME SHOW DEL SUPER BOWL."

While fans were thrilled at the news, others were not so pleased.

During an interview on conservative news network Newsmax, US President Donald Trump said he had "never heard of" Bad Bunny.

"I don't know who he is," the president said.

"I don't know why they're doing it. It's, like, crazy. And then they blame it on some promoter they hired to pick up entertainment. I think it's absolutely ridiculous."

Bad Bunny has been critical of Mr Trump's administration.

He deliberately left the US off his list of stops on his 2025 world tour, citing fears that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents would target fans at his concerts.

Other conservatives, including podcaster Benny Johnson, have criticised the pick because Bad Bunny does not have any songs in English.

Conservative action group Turning Point USA plans to put forward an alternative half-time show, which it is calling The All-American Halftime Show.

Being from the US territory of Puerto Rico, Bad Bunny is an American citizen.

Who else is performing?

The half-time show isn't the only entertainment portion of the Super Bowl.

If you tune in before all the action starts, you'll be able to catch some other musical acts.

Charlie Puth will sing the national anthem and Brandi Carlile will perform a rendition of America the Beautiful.

Bad Bunny won't be the only act to ruffle feathers on the political front, either.

Punk rock band Green Day is slated to take on the opening ceremony.

They have been openly critical of Mr Trump in recent years, going so far as to change the lyrics of songs and lead chants against the two-time president.

In American Idiot, for example, "I'm not part of the redneck agenda" is now sung as "I'm not part of the MAGA agenda".

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