As the nation prepares for Super Bowl LIX, a new kind of halftime rivalry is taking shape—not on the football field, but on television screens across America. On February 8, 2026, Turning Point USA will debut its "All-American Halftime Show," a live-streamed event positioned as a direct alternative to the NFL's official halftime performance headlined by Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny. The show, set to air at 8 p.m. ET, features a star-studded lineup including Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett, and is being broadcast across multiple platforms, from YouTube and Rumble to right-leaning networks such as Daily Wire+, TBN, OAN, and Real America’s Voice.
For Erika Kirk, CEO of Turning Point USA and widow of the organization’s late founder Charlie Kirk, this event carries deep personal significance. Charlie Kirk, a prominent conservative activist, was assassinated in September 2025 at the age of 31. Erika Kirk describes the All-American Halftime Show as an extension of her late husband’s mission to engage with the culture and create programming that resonates across generations. "It’s powerful because what Charlie always loved and knew is that he wanted to be in the forefront of the culture war," she told Fox News. "He would be fist-pumping at this. He would be so stoked. And what better way to honor him than to just get in the middle of this and be able to offer an alternative to families."
Turning Point USA announced plans for the show last fall, explicitly positioning it as a patriotic counterpoint to the NFL’s official halftime spectacle. This year, the NFL tapped Bad Bunny, the global Latin music sensation, to headline the Super Bowl LIX halftime show. The choice sparked a wave of criticism from conservative pundits and even former President Donald Trump, who questioned Bad Bunny’s popularity and suitability for the event. According to USA Today, Bad Bunny was the most-streamed artist globally in 2025, and his latest album made history by becoming the first Spanish-language record to win Album of the Year at the Grammys just a week before the Super Bowl.
Kid Rock, the headline act for Turning Point’s event, addressed the contrast in a statement released at the show’s announcement: "He’s said he’s having a dance party, wearing a dress, and singing in Spanish? Cool. We plan to play great songs for folks who love America." The All-American Halftime Show, according to Turning Point USA’s press materials, is meant to celebrate "faith, family, and freedom"—values the organization says are underrepresented in mainstream entertainment. Erika Kirk emphasized, "That’s the thing that is so beautiful about Turning Point USA and our programs — it’s holistic, it’s for the entire home. It’s of every age, and so for us to be able to provide an alternative that is pro-America, that is just pro-everything."
The show’s lineup is designed to appeal to fans of country and rock music, with Kid Rock known for his genre-blending style and hits like "Picture" and "All Summer Long." Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett (the 2021 Academy of Country Music Awards winner for new female artist of the year) round out the roster, each bringing their own fanbase to the event. Erika Kirk praised the participating artists, saying, "The artists that have teamed up with us — I just want to say thank you to them. It’s very brave of them to do this. They partnered with us without hesitation, and it’s actually been a huge blessing. It’s going to be an unbelievable halftime show."
Notably, the All-American Halftime Show is not the first attempt at an alternative Super Bowl halftime event. In the 1990s, shows like "In Living Color" and "Beavis and Butthead" offered viewers a break from the NFL’s official entertainment. The WWE even staged "Halftime Heat" in 1999. However, according to The Independent, 2026 marks the first time such an alternative has taken on overt political overtones, reflecting the heightened polarization of American culture and media.
The event’s reach extends beyond digital platforms. Several Nashville bars, including Kid Rock’s Big A** Honky Tonk & Steakhouse and other venues owned by Steve Smith, plan to switch their televisions from the Super Bowl to the Turning Point show at halftime. John Rich’s Redneck Riviera bar will also air the alternative performance. However, not all establishments are following suit—Friends in Low Places, co-owned by Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, will stick with the traditional Super Bowl broadcast.
The political undertones of the event are hard to ignore. The show is described as "MAGA-centric" by The Independent, and its creation was a direct response to what organizers and supporters see as a lack of representation for their values in mainstream entertainment. Former NFL quarterback Brett Favre voiced his support on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "Not familiar with Bad Bunny so don’t know if his music is good or bad. I’m just going to watch what I know Lee Brice, Kid Rock All-American Halftime Show."
Despite the enthusiasm among its target audience, the All-American Halftime Show faces stiff competition in the court of public opinion. A YouGov America survey released just days before the event found that 35 percent of respondents preferred Bad Bunny’s halftime show, while 28 percent said they were more interested in the Kid Rock-led alternative. The divide was most pronounced along partisan lines: 55 percent of Republicans favored the Turning Point event, compared to just 13 percent who preferred Bad Bunny. Among Democrats, 63 percent favored Bad Bunny, with only 7 percent choosing the alternative. These numbers underscore the cultural and political rifts that have come to define American entertainment choices.
Kid Rock himself addressed the backlash against his participation in the Turning Point show by sharing a quote from Kobe Bryant on Instagram: "Learn to love the hate. Embrace it. Enjoy it. You earned it. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and everyone should have one about you. Haters are a good problem to have. Nobody hates the good ones. They hate the great ones." His message seemed to capture the defiant spirit of the event and its organizers.
Meanwhile, the NFL’s official halftime show is moving forward as planned, with Bad Bunny set to take the stage. The performance comes at a high point in the artist’s career, following his Grammy win and continued popularity as a global streaming powerhouse. Green Day, another major act, will open Super Bowl LX, adding even more star power to the weekend’s festivities.
With two high-profile halftime shows airing simultaneously, viewers have more choices than ever before—each event offering a distinct vision of American culture. Whether the All-American Halftime Show becomes a new tradition or remains a one-off protest, it marks a notable moment in the intersection of sports, music, and politics.