Beyonce wows the crowd in Super Bowl XLVII half-time show

BEYONCE has wowed the Super Bowl crowd with her  much-anticipated half-time extravaganza, featuring a Destiny's Child reunion.

OH, Beyonce sure can handle it. She brought the live vocal, a bootylicious Destiny's Child reunion and a tightly choreographed set of hits to her much-anticipated Super Bowl half-time extravaganza.

It didn't take long for the Twitterverse to claim her performance as matching that of Prince a few years ago.

After strutting down a seemingly endless catwalk in stilettos and knee highs, there was no wardrobe malfunction as Beyonce ripped off a leather bolero and skirt to perform a 12-minute medley of musical moments.

Dwarfed by a giant silhouette of her in lights, Beyonce quickly established her live credentials with her wailing on Love On Top before slamming into the high-energy choreography of Crazy In Love.

Alternately beaming a mega-watt smile and a sexy fierceness which seemed to dare the critics to challenge her, Beyonce appeared to sing most of the set live while busting out some serious moves without missing a breath.

You could hear the 70,000-plus crowd erupt as her Destiny's Child sisters Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams literally popped up on stage to the strains of Bootylicious and ended their reunion with Single Ladies.

By that stage, there were dozens of female dancers ringing the stage for a scene-stealing dance-athon.

Beyonce brought it back down for the finish, performing her anthemic Halo before gushing "Thank you for this moment."

Singer Alicia Keys had kicked off the day's entertainment, keeping it simple with just piano and that powerhouse voice when she performed the national anthem at the Super Bowl.

The Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers face each other for the first time in a Super Bowl to see who will be crowned the National Football League champion.

Keys looked stunning in a crimson floor-length body-hugging dress and kept her cool during her heartfelt rendition, which she had rehearsed relentlessly.

There was no doubt that she wanted to avoid either the accusations of miming or a repeat of Christina Aguilera's fateful rendition where the power-lunged pop star goofed on the lyrics.

NEW ORLEANS, LA - FEBRUARY 03: Singer Beyonce performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl XLVII Halftime Show at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Chris Graythen/Getty Images/AFP== FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

"I'm really excited about it, I can't even lie," Keys said before the big gig.

"I have to rehearse it totally, as if it's a brand-new song, because it is actually a brand new song in the style that I'll deliver it. I'm actually rehearsing it like a maniac."

Bookmakers had also offered odds on how long Keys’ rendition of the anthem would last.

Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson and Jordin Sparks all performed the song in less than 2 minutes and 10 seconds while Billy Joel performed it in 1 minute and 30 seconds.

The festive atmosphere has engulfed New Orleans, with the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras coming in the same month and football fans were getting a double dose of revelry in the build-up to the big game.

NEW ORLEANS, LA - FEBRUARY 03: Singer Beyonce performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl XLVII Halftime Show at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Al Bello/Getty Images/AFP== FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

Jazz bands are playing, the crawfish boiling and daiquiris swirling, as party goers crammed bars and restaurants ahead of Super Bowl 47.

Fans began lining up to get into the 70,000-seat Superdome stadium eight hours before the scheduled kickoff between the Ravens and the 49ers, while millions more were set to watch on television as the event capped a week of Super Bowl merriment in The Big Easy.

Tickets from scalpers were going for between $1,500 to $2,000 outside the stadium and parking lots in the area jacked up their prices by charging $150 per car.

Those lucky enough to snag a ticket had to navigate through a labyrinth of security just to get inside the Superdome, including passing through metal detectors, bag searches, sniffer dogs and pat downs.

Posh restaurants were booked for private parties catered by celebrity chefs famous for their unique southern cuisine, while concerts featured everyone from Paul McCartney to Lil Wayne to Justin Timberlake.

City officials have pulled out all the stops to let visitors know New Orleans is back in business, having finally recovered from the devastation of Katrina.

The state of Louisiana provided $6 million and the local organising committee raised $7.5 million to put on the game.

The city has also been spruced up with improvements to building facades, new lamp posts, highway overpasses and the Superdome itself decorated with Super Bowl XLVII banners and signs.

The hordes of people flocked to raucous Bourbon Street all week where strip clubs also got into the act by hiring extra dancers and stocking up on additional alcohol to keep up with the high demand.

Even the traditional Mardi Gras beads tossed to revellers from balconies have a Super Bowl spin to them this year with some featuring miniature footballs while others were shaped like helmets.
 

NEW ORLEANS, LA - FEBRUARY 03: Alicia Keys performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl XLVII Pregame Show at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images)