Now it’s official: Rapper Machine Gun Kelly will perform at the halftime show at the Carolina Panthers‘ NFL game against the New York Giants on November 10th. “I am very much looking forward to performing in Germany at the upcoming NFL game in Munich,” wrote “MGK” in its press release. “The energy that the German fans bring is unsurpassed!” he continued to enthuse.
Machine Gun Kelly – a huge football fan himself
Machine Gun Kelly, whose real name is Colson Baker, grew up in several countries. Including in Germany. In his early youth he moved with his family to Cleveland, whose football team “Cleveland Browns” has since found him a prominent fan. Last year he even tried to lure quarterback and Taylor Swift husband Travis Kelce to his favorite team with $500,000.
His new single “Lonely Road” was only released in July together with Jelly Roll, which addresses the love of home with a “Take Me Home, Country Roads” quote. The 34-year-old is particularly popular on social media. Four million fans follow him on TikTok and nine million on Instagram.
American culture internationally successful
“We always strive to provide world-class entertainment that appeals to our international fans while incorporating local culture,” said Game Presentation Director Tim Tubito about the musician’s commitment. “And what better way to celebrate the passionate fans in Germany than with a modern interpretation of one of their favorite matchday anthems?” continued Tubito. Last year in Frankfurt they still relied on local artists like the duo Kontra K and singer Nico Santos. This year the audience in Munich will have an international mega star for half-time entertainment.
The game between the first division football teams from the USA will take place on November 10th in the Allianz Arena in Munich. With away games outside the USA, the football league is pursuing a marketing campaign to further establish the sport internationally. And she was successful: there were a total of around 110,000 tickets for two NFL games in Frankfurt last year – but there were reportedly over four million requests.
