Superstar DJ Tiesto pulls out of Super Bowl show ‘for family reasons’

Dutch music producer DJ Tiesto has withdrawn from performing at Sunday’s Super Bowl because of an undisclosed family matter.

Tiesto, whose real name is Tijs Verwest, wrote on social media on Thursday he would miss the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs in Las Vegas as he needed to return home.

“It was a tough decision to miss the game, but family always comes first,” the 55-year-old wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

The Grammy-winning musician was selected as the first ever in-game DJ, expected to warm up the crowd before kick-off and throughout the game. Singer Usher will headline the halftime show while Reba McEntire will sing the national anthem.

Tiesto did not provide details about the emergency. He married model Annika Backes in 2019 and the couple have two children.

His performances scheduled for Friday evening in New York and Saturday evening in Las Vegas — where the Super Bowl is being held — have not been cancelled, according to his website. Tiesto said in his message he will need to return home “on Sunday”.

The Dutchman has been repeatedly named as the world’s best DJ during his 40-year career. He previously performed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens and at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

American DJ Ryan Raddon, better known as Kaskade, will replace Tiesto during Sunday’s game. He wrote on social media he was “beyond excited” for the opportunity.

The game, already usually the most-watched programme in America, has seen even more attention this year, since Kansas City’s tight end Travis Kelce began dating pop star Taylor Swift.

Swift is due to play in Tokyo on Saturday, but last week, the Japanese Embassy in Washington, DC, put out a statement reassuring fans the 34-year-old singer will make it to Nevada in time to see her partner play.