Soundgarden’s Surviving Members to Reunite for Seahawks Season Opener Halftime Show

Kim Thayil, Ben Shepherd and Matt Cameron have announced that they will reunite under the Soundgarden banner to play the halftime show at the Seattle Seahawks’ season opener. The performance is set for September 9, 2026, when the Seahawks host the New England Patriots at Lumen Field in Seattle.

Taylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless will handle lead vocals for the halftime set, with Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready joining on additional guitar. Kickoff for the game is scheduled for 5:20 p.m. PT (8:20 p.m. ET) with the broadcast airing on NBC.

• The Seahawks enter the game as defending NFL champions, having beaten the Patriots in last season’s Super Bowl.
• Mike McCready will also sing the National Anthem before kickoff, appearing on behalf of the Washington Innocence Project, a Seahawks Spirit Of 12 partner.
• Chris Cornell died in May 2017, and Soundgarden has played only a small number of shows with guest vocalists since then.

Soundgarden’s Last Stage Appearance Before the Halftime Show

The upcoming halftime performance will mark Soundgarden’s first time on stage since its Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony last November. At that event, Momsen and McCready joined Thayil, Cameron and Shepherd for a rendition of “Rusty Cage.”

The induction ceremony also included Brandi Carlile leading a performance of “Black Hole Sun” with Momsen singing backing vocals, plus Chris Cornell’s daughter Toni Cornell performing “Fell On Black Days” alongside Heart’s Nancy Wilson. Soundgarden’s Hall of Fame induction recognized Thayil, Cameron, Chris Cornell and Shepherd, along with original bassist Hiro Yamamoto, who played in the band from 1984 to 1989 and appeared on its first two EPs and first two albums.

New Soundgarden Album in the Works

Thayil, Cameron and Shepherd are also putting together a new Soundgarden album built around vocal recordings Chris Cornell made before his death in 2017. Producer Terry Date, who worked on the band’s 1989 album “Louder Than Love” and 1991’s “Badmotorfinger,” is involved in the project, while Joe Barresi is currently handling the mixing.

Soundgarden and Chris Cornell’s widow, Vicky Cornell, previously faced legal disputes but reconciled in 2023. The band had reunited once before, launching a tour in 2010 and releasing the album “King Animal” on November 13, 2012, before effectively going on hiatus again following Cornell’s death in May 2017.

More Info

• Soundgarden Reuniting for NFL Kickoff Halftime Show in Seattle | Consequence
• Soundgarden To Reunite For NFL Season Opener Halftime Show | Stereogum
• SOUNDGARDEN To Perform During Halftime Of SEATTLE SEAHAWKS Season Opener | Blabbermouth
• Soundgarden reunites to play halftime of Seahawks’ season opener | sports.mynorthwest.com