DJ Tiësto pulls out of Super Bowl due to 'family emergency'

LAS VEGAS - Tiësto, the superstar Dutch DJ and record producer, has pulled out from performing at Super Bowl 2024 due to an undisclosed "family emergency." 

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

"Me and my team have been preparing something truly special for months, but a personal family emergency is forcing me to return home Sunday morning," the 55-year-old wrote on X. "It was a tough decision to miss the game, but family always comes first."

The Grammy-winning musician also thanked the NFL "for the collaboration" and said he was "looking forward to working with them to deliver something incredible together in the future."

Tiësto was selected as the first ever in-game DJ, slotted to warm up the crowd before kickoff and throughout the game. Singer Usher is headlining the halftime show, while Reba McEntire will sing the national anthem.

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Tiësto, behind songs like "Wasted," "Red Lights," and "The Business," did not provide details about the emergency. He married model Annika Backes in 2019 and the couple have two children.

FILE - Dutch DJ Tiësto tours the grid before the start of the Las Vegas Formula One Grand Prix on Nov. 18, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, 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 canceled, according to his website. 

Tiësto said in his message he would need to return home "on Sunday."

Tiësto has repeatedly been named 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 Kaskade, whose real name is Ryan Raddon, will replace Tiësto during Sunday’s game, officials said. The Chicago native wrote on social media he was "beyond excited" for the opportunity.

"As a kid who grew up in Chicago watching the @NFL Super Bowl every year with my family this chance to actually be part of it is absolutely mind blowing," the DJ wrote. "Las Vegas has been my second home for the past decade, as an architect of creating a landscape that includes House and Dance Music residencies as part of its destination."

He continued: "To be able to be the first Electronic Musician to be part of the full game experience of the Super Bowl held in Las Vegas seems like coming home, and I’m beyond excited to represent my community."

The game, already usually the most-watched program 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, D.C., put out a statement reassuring fans the 34-year-old singer would make it to Nevada in time to see her beau play.

This story was reported from Cincinnati. The Associated Press contributed.