Cheap Trick to Perform Halftime at Browns-Steelers Thursday Night Football
The Cleveland Browns announced on Oct. 1, 2026, that Cheap Trick will perform a halftime set during the Week 4 Thursday Night Football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The show will be staged on the team’s new entertainment stage in section 125 next to the Dawg Pound. The team said the performance is part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Game festivities.
Formed in Rockford, Illinois, in 1974, Cheap Trick has sold more than 20 million records worldwide. The band has earned over 40 international Gold and Platinum certifications with a mix of pop hooks, sharp riffs and mischievous wit. That combination has helped the group build a catalog that has resonated across multiple generations.
They broke through commercially in 1978 with the album “Heaven Tonight,” which featured the song “Surrender,” and with a pair of landmark concerts at Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan. Those shows were released as the live album “Cheap Trick at Budokan,” which reached triple-Platinum and produced the band’s first Top 10 single, “I Want You to Want Me.” The Budokan recording later was added to the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry.
Cheap Trick continued to chart with albums such as “Dream Police” and reached No. 1 on the singles chart with “The Flame” in 1988. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 on its first nomination and remains an active touring act, playing more than 150 shows a year. The group released its 20th studio album, “In Another World,” in 2021. The team said tickets for the game remain available.
NFL Sports Blog Take
Pairing a classic rock act with a divisional Thursday night game underscores the Browns’ effort to make home dates broader entertainment events. Cheap Trick’s long history of high-energy performances and a set on the new section 125 stage next to the Dawg Pound should amplify the in-stadium atmosphere and create a memorable halftime moment. The booking ties the team’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Game branding to an artist with both historical significance and contemporary touring momentum.