Jack White will headline the Detroit Lions’ Thanksgiving halftime show on November 27. It is the first show booked under the team’s new partnership with Eminem. Also, it is White’s first-ever performance at Ford Field. Moreover, it comes just months after his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the White Stripes.
The show will air nationally on Fox during the Lions-Packers game, which this year begins at 1 pm instead of the usual 12:30 pm slot. And this time, Detroit music runs the show from top to bottom.
Eminem Era
The Lions recently announced a multi-year deal with Eminem and Paul Rosenberg to help plan Thanksgiving halftime entertainment through 2027. Now, the first result of that partnership is here.
Jesse Collins Entertainment, the same LA-based team that handled the star-packed reopening concert in June 2024, will produce Jack White’s performance. Eminem co-produced that event, which also featured White in one of the night’s headline spots. So, the creative chemistry is already there.
Another Motor City legend, CeCe Winans, will sing the national anthem. Winans is one of the most awarded gospel singers of all time, with 17 Grammys to her name and two wins earlier this year. Her voice will open the game on a powerful note.
A Detroit Story from Start to Finish
For the first time, the Lions will partner with Feeding America during the broadcast, Detroit Free Press reports. Viewers will be encouraged to donate and help provide meals for families who need support during the holiday season. It is a chance to turn a major sports moment into something meaningful.
This new initiative has Eminem’s fingerprints all over it. Of course, he is one of the team’s most devoted celebrity supporters and a regular face at Ford Field. Additionally, his charity has been helping the city for years, without advertising its efforts loudly. Now, with this new role, he’ll help shape what many hope will become a fresh era for Thanksgiving halftime shows.
Fans remember that Eminem and Jack White already shared the stage during the Michigan Central Station concert. They didn’t perform together, but the idea alone set imaginations running. And while a collaboration this time is, again, unlikely, many Detroit fans will still hope for a surprise moment from two of the city’s most groundbreaking artists.
Thanksgiving football is a tradition. This year, Detroit music becomes one too.
