OK, we’re going to wrap this blog up now. It was quite an occasion – and Beyoncé was the undoubted star (in a non-sporting sense, of course.) Coldplay were lightweight but effective, Bruno Mars did what he does – and there were many interesting and funny ads and film trailers to savor. What a night. Our collective Super Bowl party was a great pleasure to put on, but now we’re engorged on mozzarella sticks and chicken dippers, so we’ll say goodnight. Thanks for reading. Goodbye!

They’re almost done in Santa Clara, and our non-football live blog is coming to the end of its natural life. Seconds remaining – and Peyton Manning’s done it again!

We should probably reiterate that Beyoncé and her people have indeed announced a new Formation World Tour – confirmed minutes after her triumphant Super Bowl performance. Tickets go on sale next week. Get ‘em while they’re hot!

About three minutes remain in Super Bowl 50 – and it’s tense. Follow all the action with DJ Gallo and friends here:

After belting out the national anthem before the game, Lady Gaga stayed around to watch festivities and posted video on Snapchat of her dancing along to Coldplay and Bruno Mars.

Considering she nailed the anthem, wondering if she’s a possibility to headline next year’s half-time?

How’s everything doing? Fatigued yet?

And more fabulous pictures here:

The crowd created a rather spectacular rainbow spelling ‘Believe in Love’ as the finale to Coldplay’s colorful show.

(As one tweeter noted, “Believe in Conscious Uncoupling” – a reference to Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow’s split – must have been too long to fit.)

But how’d they do that? This video from Instagram reveals how the crowd helped Coldplay look colorful, while still seeing Beyoncé beat Bruno Mars in a dance battle.

Don’t forget: if there are any ads you feel we’ve missed, you can catch up with them in Dave Schilling’s best-of-the-Super-Bowl analysis:

If you’re here for the ads and film trailers, fear not: we’ll have much more analysis from the excellent Dave Schilling and Nigel M Smith in due course. And, of course, we’ll bring you Alex Needham’s review of a sparkling half-time show as soon as we have it.

By my reckoning, that was a jam-packed, Beyonce-dominated 12 minutes thus: Viva La Vida, Paradise, Adventure of a Lifetime, Uptown Funk, Formation, back to Uptown Funk, followed by some miscellaneous singing I didn’t catch. Jesus, that’s no analysis, is it?! I think I’m still high on half-time show juice.

Beyoncé even makes falling over look good.

Seems like Taylor Swift approved:

Mixed reviews on Twitter re: the half-time show, with indifference to Coldplay but love for the show overall.

We should perhaps mention that the players are out for the second half again: a pretty rapid turnaround after all that razzle-dazzle. Follow the football here:

So much to decipher from that half-time show. Our arts editor Alex Needham will give his considered verdict shortly in his Super Bowl half-time review, but the consensus seems to be: Beyonce is awesome, Bruno Mars brought it, and Coldplay aren’t too bad, either. A winning trio! Was Beyonce channeling Michael Jackson?

We finish with fireworks and a huge rainbow flag in the stadium. That was half pedestrian and half anything but. For me Bruno Mars completely over delivered, Beyonce gave the whole thing star quality and Chris Martin, well, look at him. And she just announced her Formation tour with tickets going on sale on 16 Feb.

Hang on. Is this? Is Chris Martin doing a medley including Purple Rain?

That was pretty impressive. and now we’re back down to earth with Martin sat at aforementioned piano, with footage of previous halftime performances playing over the top. Please get Bruno and Beyonce back out here!

Now they’ve gone back into Uptown Funk, and Chris Martin has shown up. Watch out for drunk uncle!!!

Beyonce nearly fell over then.

Bruno and Beyonce are doing a call and response thing now, which is slick as hell. Were Coldplay playing earlier?

I reckon the lyrics: “My daddy Alabama, Momma LouisianaYou mix that negro with that Creole make a Texas bamma I like my baby hair, with baby hair and afros I like my negro nose with Jackson Five nostrils” are easy the most political to grace a halftime show.

Beyonce is doing Formation!

Bruno and crew, who are pretty amazing live if I’m honest, are doing a Pleasure Principle Janet Jackson choreographed dance routine, while clad in black. I hope no one gets their nipple out.

“Hold up! BRUNO!” You know what that means. Mark Ronson pretending to DJ and little Bruno Mars playing a street version of Uptown Funk.

Ok we’re on to Adventure of a Lifetime, and Martin is demanding everyone “get down”. I’m not sure this is up to last year’s bonkers best with Perry – but it’s not a disaster.

Now Martin is being mobbed by kids who are taking selfies. He kind of forced himself onto those poor mites in my opinion, like an uncle at a family gathering who wants everyone to play Twister. Now they’re singing Paradise. They’ve definitely gone with the big numbers.

They’ve segued into Viva La Vida and this looks like an Olympic opening ceremony! Roll on Rio! “We’re in this together,” he says. I don’t know if the Broncos and Panthers are into all this mutual loving.

You know things are serious when Coldplay’s funky, hip piano is about to be rushed on …

There’s already some football/pop culture banter flying off. Here is veteran sports writer Don Van Natta Jr’s attempt:

… and someone who isn’t quite as convinced this will be good:

We’re seconds away from the half-time whistle. Eighteen left, and Carolina call a timeout. We’ll take a pause.

Astronaut Scott Kelly is celebrating the game up at the International Space Station. How would nachos hold up in zero gravity? Messily, I think.

The game clock says 5:45 till half-time. In real time, that’s probably about 15 minutes. I wonder what’s on Coldplay’s backstage rider?

An email! From the hardy Ezra Finkelstein. This is. “It’s 2:47 in the morning and I’m resisting the urge to snooze just because I want to hear Coldplay. Now that’s dedication to a good cause.”

Ezra, we salute you.

Corporate behemoth Apple are rousing some ire on Twitter – because Apple TV is not working.

Here’s a report from AP:

Complaints are popping up on Twitter from people saying they’re having trouble streaming the game on Apple TV.

When asked about the problem, an Apple TV representative pointed to a tweet by CBS Sports’ Help Team responding to a customer complaint.

The tweet said: “We are aware of stream issues for Apple TV. Our team is diligently working on a fix. Thank you for your patience.”

The account had replied to many customer complaints with a similar line by 7.25pm.

The Super Bowl means Super Bowl parties, which means Super Bowl-themed snacks.

On the White House’s Snapchat Story, the White House pastry chef unveiled trays of the classic football shaped cookie (as well as delicious looking lemon meringue, apple and pecan pies, but no one bothered to make them resemble a football field so we’ll ignore them).

But Barack and Michelle aren’t the only one chewing down on game-related snacks, with both homemade and some fancy looking football snacks (we’re ignoring all the trays of fried chicken and hot dogs and chips, because that could be served at any old party).

Seen other great ones? Tweet me @ambiej

Shifting gear for a second, Sam Levin has been out in San Francisco:

Glenn Murphy and Nicole Eloriaga-Murphy were still hoping to get tickets to the Super Bowl just two hours before the game was scheduled to start. The couple from New York City were two of the thousands of football fans packed into Super Bowl City, the tacky entertainment complex in downtown San Francisco, on Sunday afternoon.

“We’re hopeful we can find something,” said Murphy, 31, who flew in from New York City and has a red-eye flight back on Sunday night before returning to work Monday morning. “We want to go to the game and then go straight home.”

If they couldn’t find a last-minute ticket that was relatively affordable, Eloriaga-Murphy said she was happy to at least join the energetic crowds in San Francisco. “It’s such a great atmosphere here,” said Eloriaga-Murphy, 29. “It’s just a really fun vibe and a lot of sports fans supporting their teams along with tourists … It really feels like home.”

On this sunny afternoon inside the large sports center along Embarcadero Street, many San Francisco 49ers fans wearing their team’s gear said that if they couldn’t root for their hometown favorites, the Carolina Panthers were a great second option.

“We’re 49ers’ fans, but we want Cam Newton to take it home!” said Leila Johnson, a 25-year-old Daly City resident who brought her four-year-old son, Holland. “He’s just a very positive person who does a lot for the community. It’s great to see an athlete that’s active not only in sports, but also in the community.”

She added: “The Panthers have worked hard. They resemble strength – just like the 49ers.”

Her sister, Grace Johnson, 24, said it was rare to see so many diverse people come together for an event in San Francisco. “I’m here to be around all these other people in my community and from around the world. I couldn’t miss this. I don’t know the next time the Super Bowl is going to come to the Bay Area.”

Inside Super Bowl City, fans waited in long lines to take selfies in front of the Super Bowl 50 sign while some kids zip-lined across the complex.

The Broncos’ fans appeared outnumbered at Super Bowl City, but they were equally enthusiastic.

“This is it – we are going to win, win, win!” said Broncos fan Iran Baez, 41, who traveled from Denver to visit Super Bowl City. “This is a great celebration here.”

Ayanna Gandhi, an 11-year-old Hillsborough, California girl, said she was disappointed she couldn’t root for the 49ers, but was happy to see so many sports fans here. “It’s fun to see everybody’s different jerseys here to see where everyone is from … Everyone who comes here is a sports fan.”

Her father, Abhi Gandhi, added, “This just feels very San Francisco to be here in the heart of the city … I love the fact that this is happening in our home.”

Ra’Nika Ivy, a Fairfield resident and big Cam Newton fan, said she was just happy that she was able to get into Super Bowl City – after swinging by Saturday night when organizers closed down the overcrowded complex. “I’ve been trying to get in all weekend,” she said. “I love it here. It’s beautiful.”

How’s everyone doing? It’s a bit of a sensory overload, isn’t it? But in a good way. Maybe afterwards we can sit quietly for an hour, or have a can of Coke and a cigarette. Oops, sorry, sponsors – Pepsi is a delicious, refreshing carbonated beverage too!

I made a prediction of 8pm ET, 5pm local for the start of the half-time show, which at the time I believed to be reckless. But we might be somewhere near there, all being well.

So we’ve just entered the second quarter in Santa Clara. Not long till Coldplay and Beyonce! Twelve minutes of game time, but with all the stoppages and replays and timeouts, that’ll be more like 25, imho. But I could be wrong!

Oh no! We’re having some trouble playing embeds in our live blog, so we’ll try to get you a proper version of Gaga’s anthem when we can. Rest assured, however, it was really good!

Now, let’s not forget the film trailers: a whole bunch of new clips will be aired during the commercials. Nigel M Smith will be updating this piece as we go, so be sure to check in every so often for on-the-money analysis.

At the risk of laboring the point, Lady Gaga’s national anthem really was something. Those high notes! She rattled my fillings loose!

A slightly zany “look” for Gaga, but no doubt about the quality of the performance. Social media is in agreement: Gaga crushed it, killed it, nailed it, slayed it. Well done!

Gene Simmons of Kiss was more prosaic in his assessment, but he approved:

She’s in a shimmering red trouser suit, and this is good stuff. Just Gaga and the pianist on stage. Cam Newton is eyes closed, and everyone else in the stadium is hats off, hands on hearts. “She’s hitting all the high notes!” says my colleague Amber Jamieson. And she really is! The last line is epic: “And the home of the … [serious dramatic pause] … braaaaaave”, loud, long – and to a huge round of applause.

That was brilliant!

OK, here we go with the pre-game entertainment: some anthems! Marlee Matlin from the West Wing.

Lady Gaga, who’s leading today’s national anthem, posted a photo of her outfit. Wonder if she’ll be as good as Whitney Houston?

Here’s how you tell how good the half-time show is: taxi use. Data analyst Todd Schneider writes: “When there are fewer trips at the beginning of halftime — representing people who don’t want to miss the halftime show — and more taxis at the end of halftime.”

We’re getting close to kick-off. Whose nerves are jangling?

Where will Coldplay rank in the pantheon? The Super Bowl half-time show has made a handful of performers look heroic; many others have been dwarfed, as Jon Pareles of the New York Times put it. Michael Jackson in 1993, Prince in 07, and Beyoncé in 2013 were widely acknowledged to have been magnificent; last year, Katy Perry and the left shark were firmly in the zany camp; and Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake were, obviously, NSFW. Can Coldplay pump up the volume and go down as Super Bowl rockers for the ages?

Les Carpenter is at Levi’s Stadium:

Back in January, the Guardian’s Sam Levin wrote this fine story about the plight of the Santa Clara Youth Soccer League which was losing its field for more than a month to an armada of Super Bowl tents and work rooms. You see, the Santa Clara Soccer League had the misfortune of having a field next to Levi’s Stadium.

Parents and league organizers worried that the huge plastic plates laid out as the base for the tents would kill the grass on the field. A lawsuit they filed against the league was rejected at the start of the year. The field disappeared under large sheets of white plastic. And a quick walk of the field on Sunday showed the parents’ fears might be realized.

Even the areas exposed to the sunlight are barren. And given the size of the tents and portable toilets laid out on the plastic slabs it’s hard to believe the field will fare well when the Super Bowl facilities are dismantled.

Donald Trump is having a nice time in New Hampshire. Is his “everybody enjoy the Super Bowl” line a threat, or merely an instruction?

Maybe Chris Martin isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I thought his Carpool Karaoke with fellow Briton James Corden was rather sweet. Watch it here!

I should have mentioned earlier, but the half-time show has another special team: the great Gustavo Dudamel and student musicians from Youth Orchestra LA will be helping Coldplay hit their high notes. YOLA is composed mainly of black, Asian and Latino kids from the inner-city, and Deborah Borda, the LA Phil’s president, says it’s gonna be a “touchdown. I’m delighted about the kind of recognition the students will be getting.”

As Mark Swed of the LA Times says it could be a game-changer for classical music: “After seven years of instruction and rigorous practice, they now represent the best of who we are as a society and of our future.”

Here’s some more on Dudamel, who’s definitely not the messiah:

Dave Bry, our famed food critic, is no fan of football – but he sure loves guacamole. If you’re looking to serve up something a little more imaginative than five large margheritas and an ocean liner full of Bud Light, have a look at his recipe for the perfect Super Bowl guac. It’ll make you the most popular person at the party!

Just a little note on timings: we’re due to get going at about 6.30pm ET, 3.30pm local time, but that could depend on how much on-field administration we have to get through before kickoff. But that should mean, all being well, that the half-time show should get under way at about 8pm ET, 5pm local. All times subject to change!

Chris Martin was asked how Coldplay would manage to fit so many massive tunes – or “real foot-tappers,” as my old dad calls them – into a half-time show lasting only 12 minutes.

“We decided we’d play all our No1s and then work out how to fill the other 10 minutes,” Martin, the little rascal, said. Zing!

They’ve been building up to big game for some time in the San Francisco Bay area, which hasn’t hosted a Super Bowl since 1985. The Guardian’s David Levene has been photographing the best images of a changing city, and this picture essay is so, so good:

Tim will be here shortly. In the meantime here’s Dave Bry on how to get in the mood for the day’s festivities:

Let’s get your first problem out of the way: you are increasingly convinced that professional football is an immoral endeavor, representative of thevery worst aspects of American society.

But you don’t like the idea of being such a scold. Who are you to so judge? You can feel yourself becoming less pleasant to be around. But you genuinely like people and find pleasure in taking part in cultural celebrations. You like to drink beer and watch the excesses of the television advertising industry at their most expensive and ridiculous.

Solution: try to ignore your reservations. Today is not the day to make a stand. Accept an invitation to watch the Super Bowl at a friend’s place, even if it will be the first football game you’ve watched all year.

Second problem: what to contribute to the food that people will eat at the party. Solution: relax. Tell your host that you will make guacamole. Guacamole is delicious and easy to make and has become an integral part of the American Super Bowl holiday

For the full article, click here.