Goo Goo for Gaga

Pulling off a full-fledged stadium rock show within an NFL halftime period demands precise logistical organization.

For football fans, the high-stakes competition between NFL teams that plays out during the Super Bowl is the event of the year — but just as admirable as the on-field plays is the action happening behind the scenes.

More so than a typical football game, the Super Bowl presents some significant logistical challenges for organizers. Unsurprisingly, the very existence of the annual halftime show constitutes an incredible feat, with grounds crews having to construct and dismantle elaborate stages and sets within a matter of minutes. As the world’s most viewed performance, the Super Bowl halftime show can’t afford a single disruption — and most years (“wardrobe malfunctions” aside), all those months of careful preparation pay off with a show that’s as seamless as it is entertaining.

Lights, Camera, Action!

While most concert organizers have several days (or even weeks!) to prepare their venue in advance of the performance, the Super Bowl halftime show’s producers have only six or seven minutes to construct a fully-functioning stage. As soon as the first half ends, teams of stagehands sprint onto the field to assemble the stage — which can weigh as much as ten tons — during a short commercial break. This grounds crew goes through multiple rehearsals to ensure that they’re able to set everything up precisely within the time allotted, but even so, the stakes are high: one minor slip-up could delay the show or create a safety hazard for performers.

During the show, the grounds crew remains on the field as the on-screen audience, while another team manages set changes and specialists around the stadium oversee the lighting and special effects. As soon as the concert ends, the grounds crew has another six to seven minutes to dismantle and remove the stage from the field while ensuring that there is no damage to the turf.

A Look Back: Beyoncé Lights It Up

Beyoncé’s halftime performance in 2013 was one of the most technically complicated shows in Super Bowl history. Directed by Hamish Hamilton, who helped Danny Boyle stage the Opening Ceremonies for the previous year’s Summer Olympics, the show required a year of careful planning.

“Anything that would usually be simple is incredibly difficult in a stadium, and you have to do it halfway through the world's biggest game of football,” Hamilton told The Guardian. “This presents a unique set of challenges.”

Thousands of people participated in the show’s production, including the star herself. With a final budget of more than $1 million, the show combined groundbreaking LED effects with unusual camera angles and sophisticated lighting to create the illusion of multiple Beyoncés performing on stage. Add to that a detailed choreography of performers on stage and volunteers beneath the stage, and the resulting performance was a real showstopper.

“It required very clever technical expertise; precise choreography and cameras being in the right place,” Hamilton said. “It was a marriage of many different skills and creative thought.”