Super Bowl 2016 half-time show as it happened: Beyonce and Bruno Mars join Coldplay for spectacular performance

The NFL's Super Bowl celebrated its 50th anniversary with a spectacular half-time show headlined by Coldplay who were joined by special guests Beyonce and Bruno Mars. Following the second quarter of the NFL game between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin led the band as they performed one of the biggest shows of their career.

Taking to the stage at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, Martin, 38, opened their 13-minute show with a short intro of Yellow on the pitch before joining his bandmates Guy Berryman, Will Champion and Jonny Buckland on stage for their 2008 chart-topper Viva La Vida. With support from a young orchestra playing the violin, Coldplay then launched into one of their biggest singles Paradise and then treating the audience to a performance of their latest single Adventure Of A Lifetime taken from their new album A Head Full Of Dreams.

The group certainly gave a mesmerising display with their stage production full of rainbow colours and dancers parading umbrellas around the pitch in a beautiful flower arrangement, while the NFL event was honoured with the entire stage set-up positioned in the shape of a football. Coldplay's performance then stepped up a gear with Bruno Mars arriving on stage accompanied by a group of backing dancers and Mark Ronson for a rendition of their record-breaking 2014 single Uptown Funk.

Watch Coldplay's Super Bowl half-time show performance:

Clad in matching head-to-toe leather outfits, Mars, 30, and his crew performed a high-powered dance routine before a line of drum-players on the pitch parted the way for Beyonce to make her grand entrance. Accompanied by a fleet of female dancers, the 34-year-old singer then launched into her brand new single Formation, which she had premiered before the Super Bowl on 6 February. Wearing a black leotard, Beyonce paid tribute to her idol and former Super Bowl half-time show headliner Michael Jackson wearing two thick gold straps across her chest resembling one of the outfits the late singer wore during his performance at the game in 1993.

After a couple of blink-and-you'll-miss-it stumbles from queen Bey, what ensued was an epic dance-battle between Beyonce and Mars as the Single Ladies diva joined her fellow pop star on stage and proceeded to duet on Uptown Funk along with Coldplay who reappeared for the song. With their special guests departing the stage, Martin and co. commanded the spotlight once again for themselves, launching into one of their most iconic hits Fix You. As Martin sat behind the piano, a montage of previous half-time show performers played on the big screen with James Brown, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Beyonce and U2 among those honoured.

Coldplay's half-time show ended in unity with Beyonce, Mars and their backing dancers coming together on stage to sing Yellow included with a mash-up of other songs including Beyonce's Independent Women. As the band's performance drew to a close, the phrase "believe in love" appeared in multi-colours on the stands, bringing to a close what was a truly stunning show.