For a game that’s made its name on wild food, commercials, and betting galore, the kickoff for Super Bowl 2025 began with a truly moving tribute in the form of a surprise performance from Lady Gaga in the middle of Bourbon Street.
Gaga, who made Rolling Stone‘s best National Anthem performances at the Super Bowl list, performed with a sleek black piano and sang “Hold My Hand,” accompanied by a choir and blues band and surrounded by a bevy of first responders clad in NOLA Strong shirts.
New Orleans’ preparations for the Super Bowl have continued amid the city’s recovery from the New Year’s Day terror attack that killed 14 people. A man later identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old Texas native and an Army veteran drove a pickup up truck through Bourbon street, striking pedestrians and injuring 30 others. It was the deadliest terror attack in the country since the October 2023 mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, which killed 18 people.
“This year began with a terror attack that tried to shatter its’ spirit,” said Michael Strahan, who was joined by Tom Brady. “But the resilience of New Orleans is matched by the resolve of our country.”
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