For the first time since Super Bowl XLVII, the big game returns to the Caesars Superdome, as the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles near Sunday’s showdown.
New Orleans has long been a Super Bowl staple — Super Bowl LIX will be the Big Easy’s 11th stint as a host, tying Miami for the most in a single city.
Back in 2013, the Baltimore Ravens edged the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 handing the Niners their first Super Bowl loss in franchise history. It was a fitting finale for Ravens legend Ray Lewis, who retired after the game as the last remaining player from the team’s inaugural 1996 roster. It also marked the end of Randy Moss’ NFL career, as the veteran wide receiver was a member of San Francisco’s squad.
But Super Bowl XLVII is remembered for more reasons than just the box score. Here’s why it’s still known as the “Har-Bowl,” “Beyoncé Bowl” and “Blackout Bowl.”
Harbaugh Bros. make history in the ‘Har-Bowl’
For the first time in Super Bowl history, two brothers faced off as head coaches — John Harbaugh leading the Ravens, Jim Harbaugh helming the 49ers. The sibling rivalry played out on the grandest stage, with John, 50 at the time, narrowly besting his younger brother, Jim, 49. Adding another layer to the family affair, Jim’s son and John’s nephew, Jay Harbaugh, was an intern on Baltimore’s coaching staff.
The brothers even held a rare joint news conference before the game where John summed up the stakes best:
“For the side that comes up short, it’s going to be a bitter disappointment. That’s how football is. That’s how life is.”
John & Jim Harbaugh showing each other love before Super Bowl XLVII 🥹❤️
📺: #BALvsLAC – Tonight 8:15pm ET on ESPN
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/eHoUFYoySc— NFL (@NFL) November 25, 2024
The first ‘Beyoncé Bowl’
Super Bowl XLVII’s halftime show was the original “Beyoncé Bowl” — though the name was later used for her blockbuster performance at the Houston Texans‘ 2024 Christmas Day game. In 2013, the singer reunited Destiny’s Child and delivered an electrifying set that captivated 110.8 million viewers — then the second-most-watched halftime show ever.
She kicked things off with “Run the World (Girls)” and made a dramatic stage entrance as Vince Lombardi’s voice echoed through the stadium. Then, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams literally popped up from the floor to join her for “Bootylicious” and “Independent Women Part I.” The performance sparked a surge in music sales.
Beyoncé racked up 220,000 digital downloads the following week, while Destiny’s Child — despite not releasing an album since 2004 — saw a 36% jump.
When @Beyonce reunited @destinyschild at #SBXLVII…👸🐝🙏🔥 pic.twitter.com/KUplon98AA
— NFL (@NFL) February 2, 2020
And then … the lights went out. But that’s a story for another section.
‘Blackout Bowl’ leads to no lights in NOLA
For 34 surreal minutes, half of the Superdome was in darkness. The outage struck just after Jacoby Jones’ record-setting 108-yard kickoff return, which put the Ravens up 28-6 early in the third quarter.
The halftime show, powered by an independent generator, wasn’t to blame. Viewers at home, meanwhile, were left staring at eerie shots of a half-lit Superdome, watching the strangest Super Bowl delay unfold.
But when the power came back, so did the 49ers.
San Francisco stormed back, slashing a 22-point deficit to just two after Colin Kaepernick’s 15-yard touchdown run with under 10 minutes to play. But the comeback fell short, as Baltimore held on to win.
No. 30: Super Bowl XLVII – “The Blackout Bowl” Ravens vs. 49ers (Feb. 3, 2013) #NFL100 @Ravens
📺: NFL 100 Greatest Games on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/udXaDHcWXB
— NFL (@NFL) October 5, 2019
Investigations later traced the power failure to newly installed equipment.
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