Which marching band performed alongside Beyoncé during the NFL Halftime Show? HBCU representation wins hearts online

Beyoncé’s performance at the Christmas Day NFL game between the Ravens and Texans on December 25, 2024, featured the HBCU marching band Ocean of Soul and was live-streamed on Netflix. According to Texas Southern University Alumni, the band, named after a local radio show, has performed at many professional football games. Their uniforms date back to 1973.

The band has performed on various occasions over the years, including the Stellar Awards in 2005 and the premiere of the romantic comedy film, The Wedding Ringer, which featured Kevin Hart as the lead.

Beyoncé’s 12-minute Christmas performance featured popular music industry figures and showcased songs from her latest album, Cowboy Carter, for the first time. The performance, which included the Ocean of Soul marching band, received positive reactions from fans on various platforms.

The performance was also trending for Beyoncé’s representation of HBCUs over the year. According to Forbes magazine, she has also been praised for the same by Clark Atlanta University’s marketing expert, Clarissa Sparks, last year. Sparks said at the time:

“By aligning her brand with HBCUs, she reinforces her authenticity and commitment to empowering education and taps into a loyal audience that values social impact.”

Beyoncé’s daughter Blue Ivy was also an important part of her performance on Christmas as the duo was seen dancing together, as per USA Today. Towards the end, Beyoncé was lifted into the air with a sign of the word “bang” as she performed her song Texas Hold ‘Em.

For the unversed, Cowboy Carter was released back in March this year, with 27 songs in the soundtrack. It created various streaming records on platforms such as Spotify and Amazon Music and also reached on top of the US Billboard 200.

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Beyoncé’s Christmas Day performance featured special appearances by various artists

The news of Ocean of Soul’s special presence was first revealed by Kalan Hooks of ESPN through X on December 26, 2024. According to the tweet, Hooks was told about the band’s participation by its director Brian Simmons.

A report by HBCU Legends stated that Beyoncé first arrived at the NRG Stadium on a white horse and was singing one of her hit songs, 16 Carriages, which came out in February 2024. She also performed two more singles, Ya Ya and Texas Hold ‘Em, alongside her daughter Blue Ivy.

The 43-year-old’s companies Parkwood Entertainment and Jesse Collins Entertainment served as the producers of the entire performance.

According to About Netflix, the performance included special appearances by multiple faces from the music industry such as Reyna Roberts, Tiera Kennedy, Shaboozey, Post Malone, and more. In between all these, Ocean of Soul’s presence was specifically appreciated as they performed with 200 people.

Beyoncé additionally paid tribute to the Western and Rodeo culture with special guests that included Mexican cowgirl Malanie Rivera and bull-riding expert Myrtis Dightman, Jr.

The Yours and Mine star teased her performance on Instagram on December 11, wearing a white outfit and cowboy hat. A USA Today report in November revealed that ticket websites saw a surge in traffic when prices were announced, and ticket costs rose by about 40%, reaching nearly $528.