Wu-Tang Clan will headline the Lions' Thanksgiving halftime show on 26 November

Wu-Tang Clan will play the halftime show at the Detroit Lions' Thanksgiving Day game on 26 November 2026, the team announced on 1 November. The Lions host the Chicago Bears at Ford Field, with kickoff at 1 p.m. ET on CBS, Paramount+ and NFL+.

Who picked them

For the second year running, Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenberg, who also heads Shady Records, are executive producing the halftime show and choosing who plays it. Last year's slot went to Jack White. Detroit's own rap star choosing a New York crew is a neat bit of hip-hop geography: Wu-Tang's Staten Island roots against a Michigan stadium on one of the biggest American TV days of the year.

Lions president and CEO Rich Haddad called the Thanksgiving Day Classic one of the greatest traditions in sports and described Wu-Tang Clan as one of the greatest performers in music. The anthem will be sung by Antonio Cipriano.

Why the timing matters

Wu-Tang Clan are due to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 14 November, so this lands twelve days after their induction night. For readers meeting the group for the first time: the nine-member collective broke through with Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) in 1993 and has shaped how rap groups, solo spin-offs and brand-building work ever since.

Thanksgiving is the NFL's most-watched regular-season day, so expect the set to lean on the big, chant-along catalogue: "C.R.E.A.M.", "Protect Ya Neck" and "Triumph" are the obvious candidates. The setlist has not been announced, and we will update this story if the team shares more about the production.

Check the Lions' official site for game-day and broadcast details.