Thanksgiving and football go hand and hand and this year's holiday slate features three NFC divisional games. It is sure to be an entertaining Turkey Day, and we are not just talking about the games.
Each contest will feature halftime shows, including some of the biggest names in music. The game between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers will spotlight rapper Jack Harlow. The halftime show during the Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders game will feature superstar Dolly Parton and the final game of the day, Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers, will have a halftime performance headlined by DJ and music producer Steve Aoki.
"As fans come together for Thanksgiving, we're excited to work with our clubs and broadcast partners to bring some of the biggest names in music to NFL stages throughout the day," said NFL head of music Seth Dudowsky. "Our Thanksgiving games are among the biggest platforms in all of broadcast television, and these halftime performances continue to grow as premiere showcases for artists from across the musical spectrum. We look forward to bringing fans special moments throughout the day, as they celebrate family, football and great music together."
The Thanksgiving halftime shows are the most watched musical performances in the United States outside of the Super Bowl halftime show. The Thursday performances historically pass all other major award shows and events for U.S. viewership, per the NFL.
Let's take a closer look at the details of each performance, along with the artist featured:
Lions vs. Packers
The Lions playing host to a Thanksgiving game is a long tradition and this year they will be welcoming the Packers into Ford Field on the holiday. The game is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. ET on Fox.
Jack Harlow will be headlining the first halftime on the Thursday slate. He is a six-time Grammy nominated rapper, with two No. 1 singles and over 10 billion career streams. He has three studio albums and his latest, Jackman, was released in April 2023. The 25-year-old earned his first album for the song "Whats Poppin" off his 2020 album Thats What They All Say.
Country music duo The War And Treaty will perform the national anthem.
The Lions lead the NFC North at 8-2 and the Packers are in third place in the division at 4-6.
Cowboys vs. Commanders
The Cowboys are another team that has a history of hosting Thanksgiving games and this year Dolly Parton will be attending and performing at the NFC East showdown against the Commanders. The game is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET on CBS. Dallas' Thanksgiving game is historically one of the NFL's most watched regular-season games.
Parton is a country music icon, singer-songwriter, actor, best-selling author, philanthropist and a businesswoman. The 11-time Grammy winner will perform for The Salvation Army's Red Kettle Kickoff Halftime Show.
"We're going to do some stuff that everybody can sing along to," the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer said on "CBS Mornings." "They'll know the songs I'm doing. ... I want people to be surprised and enjoy it."
Parton's performance will feature her biggest hits along with songs from her latest album Rockstar, which came out this month.
The halftime show benefits the Red Kettle Campaign, which began in 1891.
The Cowboys are currently 7-3 and second in the NFC East, while the Commanders are 4-7 and third in the division.
Seahawks vs. 49ers
The final game of the day will be at 8:20 p.m. ET at Lumen Field, where the Seahawks will play host to the 49ers. This marks the Seahawks' first home Thanksgiving game in franchise history.
Two-time Grammy nominee Steve Aoki will perform during the game's halftime. A light show will be included as part of the performance and will feature the stadium's new LED bowl lights. Fans attending the game will be handed light-up wristbands when they enter the stadium and will be incorporated into the choreographed light show.
The Seahawks are currently 6-4 and second in the NFC West, while the 49ers are 7-3 and first in the division.
