Cowboys, Chiefs Thanksgiving game gets predictions for halftime performer

Dallas Cowboys will host the Kansas City Chiefs at AT&T Stadium this Thanksgiving, one of the most anticipated games of the 2025 NFL season. Searches for “Cowboys vs. Chiefs” are up 31% in the past week, reaching 51,000 monthly searches as fans prepare for one of football’s biggest holidays.

A major part of the Dallas Thanksgiving tradition is the halftime show, which continues to grow each year thanks to the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. DCC has gained new cultural momentum since their Netflix series went viral, offering fans a behind-the-scenes look at the team’s rigorous formation process. That popularity, combined with the Cowboys’ massive reach, means this year’s halftime headliner will face huge expectations.

While the official artist is yet to be revealed, the experts at TicketSource have crunched the data on 25 years of halftime to predict who might take center stage. Their analysis factors in artist trends, current tours and promotional cycles to determine the most likely candidates for the 2025 show.

Who could headline the Cowboys’ 2025 Thanksgiving halftime show?

Morgan Wallen at the top of the list of potential performers. With the country dominating seven of the last ten half-time lineups, Wallen’s continued success and new releases position him as a strong favourite. His mix of classic country and pop appeal echoes Lainey Wilson’s performance last year, which combined youth, energy and chart-topping hits.

Justin Timberlake also ranks highly among predictions. His long association with the NFL and the release of his 2024-25 tour and Everything I Thought It Was perfectly aligned with the show’s history of performers in active promotional cycles. Like the Jonas Brothers in 2022, Timberlake could balance nostalgia with family fun.

Post Malone brings another intriguing angle as a Texas native. His crossover success with country, pop, rock and hip-hop gives him broad appeal, while his local roots could resonate alongside Cowboy acts like Selena Gomez. His No. 1 country single “I Had Some Help” has already cemented his versatility and fan base in the Lone Star State.

Luke Brian could return as a familiar face. Known for his Las Vegas residency and family-oriented style, Bryan would follow the Cowboys’ occasional pattern of revisiting proven crowd favorites. His performance would offer a mix of consistency and nostalgia for longtime fans.

finally, Olivia Rodrigo could bring fresh energy to the lineup. Her GUTS World Tour runs through 2025, and her youth-driven sound aligns with the NFL’s push toward younger audiences. Like Selena Gomez and Ellie Goulding before her, Rodrigo could provide a pop-centric alternative to the country lineup of recent years.

Across all the predictions, a few patterns emerge: Country or country-pop acts dominate 70% of the halftime shows, pop artists rotate every two to three years, and most acts have major tours or albums within six months of Thanksgiving. Regional bias also plays a role, as artists from Texas or the South are more likely to take the stage.

As anticipation grows, one thing is certain: The Cowboys’ Thanksgiving halftime show remains a spectacle that blends football, music and entertainment into a uniquely American tradition.