The Super Bowl halftime show has long been a stage for dazzling performances and cultural milestones, but this year’s spectacle at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, was something else entirely. On February 9, 2026, Bad Bunny—born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio—took center stage at Super Bowl LX and delivered a performance that was as much a celebration of Puerto Rican heritage and Latin identity as it was a musical event. The show, which unfolded over thirteen electric minutes, was not just a display of star power but a statement about who gets to represent America’s cultural moment on its biggest night.
Bad Bunny’s journey to the Super Bowl stage has been meteoric. Just a week before his halftime show, he made history at the Grammys by winning three awards, including Album of the Year for "DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS." According to ABC News, this marked the first time a Spanish-language album had ever captured the ceremony’s top honor—a breakthrough that resonated far beyond the music industry. The sense of hope and possibility fueled both his Grammy win and his Super Bowl appearance, and it was encapsulated in a heartwarming moment that quickly went viral: Bad Bunny, walking into a living room set in the middle of the stadium, handed a Grammy trophy to a young boy dressed to look just like him. The boy, portrayed by five-year-old Lincoln Fox (who, as his Instagram reveals, is half Argentinian), beamed as he accepted the trophy, a symbol that anyone—no matter how young or where they come from—can dream big.
This wasn’t just a performance; it was a message. As a source told ABC News, the moment between Bad Bunny and Lincoln was meant to symbolize that anyone can pursue their hopes and dreams. Lincoln himself shared a clip of the scene on Instagram, writing, "I’ll remember this day forever! @badbunnypr - it was my truest honor." For many watching, the gesture struck a chord, especially as Bad Bunny’s own story is one of perseverance and belief in oneself—a theme he made explicit during the show.
From the opening moments, Bad Bunny’s halftime show was a vibrant tribute to Puerto Rico. According to the Associated Press, the performance began with Bad Bunny emerging in Puerto Rico’s sugar cane fields, surrounded by jibaros in traditional straw hats, older men playing dominos, and a piragua (shaved ice) stand—touchstones of Puerto Rican daily life. The set was alive with color and energy, and as Bad Bunny launched into his reggaeton hits like "Tití Me Preguntó" and "Yo Perreo Sola," the stadium was transformed into a Caribbean block party. Cardi B joined the festivities for a house party scene, while the music briefly shifted to Daddy Yankee’s "Gasolina," a nod to the reggaeton trailblazers who paved the way for Bad Bunny’s global success.
In a powerful moment, Bad Bunny introduced himself to the crowd in Spanish: "Mi nombre Antonio Martínez Ocasio, y si hoy estoy aquí en el Super Bowl 60, es porque nunca, nunca dejé de creer en mí y tú también deberías de creer en ti, vales más de lo que piensas." Translated, he told the world, "My name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, and if I’m here today at Super Bowl 60 it’s because I never, ever stopped believing in myself and you should also believe in yourself, you’re worth more than you think." The message, as noted by Billboard and echoed by country singer Rissi Palmer on Instagram, resonated across languages and backgrounds. Palmer wrote, "I can’t think of anything more American than coming from being a bagger at a grocery store to performing at the Super Bowl halftime show. You don’t have to be Puerto Rican or Latinx to appreciate that. It was beautiful. It was emotional. It was intentional. It was inclusive. It was what was needed for this moment."
The show featured a dazzling array of guest stars: Lady Gaga appeared for a wedding scene, singing "Die with a Smile" (her collaboration with Bruno Mars) alongside a salsa band, while Ricky Martin performed "Lo Que Pasó a Hawaii," a song about Puerto Rican autonomy. Karol G and Jessica Alba also joined the celebration. The visuals were rich with symbolism—jibaros in pavas climbed power towers that exploded, alluding to Puerto Rico’s frequent blackouts and the devastation wrought by Hurricane Maria. This led into a stirring rendition of "El Apagón" ("The Blackout"), highlighting the island’s ongoing struggles with its power grid and colonial legacy.
Throughout the performance, Bad Bunny carried the Puerto Rican flag and, in a rare switch to English at the end, declared, "God Bless America," before naming countries across the Caribbean, Central, and South America, and concluding with "And my mother land, Puerto Rico." The message was clear: the Super Bowl, and by extension America itself, is bigger and more diverse than many might assume. As Billboard noted, Bad Bunny’s halftime show wove messages like "Together, We Are America" into its fabric, presenting a vision of unity and inclusion.
Of course, not everyone was on board with this vision. The selection of Bad Bunny as the headliner sparked a conservative backlash, prompting the nonprofit Turning Point USA to stage an alternative "All-American Halftime Show" featuring Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett. According to The Daily Beast, the alternative show struggled to compete: despite drawing 16 million views on YouTube, the venue was sparsely populated and the production was widely panned for its lack of star power and energy. Even former President Donald Trump, who criticized Bad Bunny’s show as "one of the worst, EVER!" on Truth Social, reportedly tuned in to the official halftime performance anyway. The contrast between the two shows became a talking point, with many artists and fans weighing in.
Country star Zach Bryan poked fun at the alternative halftime show on Instagram, while eight-time Grammy winner Kacey Musgraves tweeted, "Well. That made me feel more proudly American than anything Kid Rock has ever done." The online reaction was split: comments on Turning Point USA’s YouTube page were filled with American flag emojis and references to the late Charlie Kirk, while others echoed Bad Bunny’s Grammy-night sentiment: "The only thing more powerful than hate is love."
For many, the real story of Super Bowl LX was not just the game—where the Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots 29-13—but the halftime show’s message of hope, resilience, and cultural pride. Bad Bunny’s performance, delivered entirely in Spanish, marked a watershed moment for Latin music and representation on one of the world’s biggest stages. As Rissi Palmer summed up, "If you can’t appreciate that, you are a straight up hater."
In a night filled with spectacle, controversy, and celebration, Bad Bunny’s halftime show stood out as a testament to the power of music, culture, and belief in oneself—reminding millions that the American story is richer and more varied than ever before.