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Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican reggaeton and Latin trap artist, will headline the Super Bowl LX Halftime Show on February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, positioning him as the first solo headliner whose performance is expected to be almost entirely in Spanish.
The “solo” distinction is significant. Jennifer Lopez and Shakira co-headlined the 2020 Super Bowl LIV halftime show together, meaning neither performed as the sole headliner. Additionally, while Lopez is of Puerto Rican descent, she was advised to sing in English by Sony Music’s Tommy Mottola and has recorded primarily in English throughout her career. Bad Bunny, by contrast, performs almost exclusively in Spanish, making him the first artist to headline solo while performing entirely in a language other than English.
Who is Bad Bunny?
Born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, Bad Bunny is a Puerto Rican rapper and singer who was the top-streamed artist on Spotify in 2025. He became the most streamed artist on Spotify globally from 2020 to 2022, and again in 2025. His 2020 album “El Último Tour Del Mundo” became the first all-Spanish-language album to go No. 1 on the Billboard 200. He later notched additional Billboard 200 No. 1s with subsequent Spanish‑language albums.
The Political Context and Trump Tensions
The selection has created significant controversy. According to The Hollywood Reporter President Donald Trump said during an interview on NewsMax that it’s “absolutely ridiculous” that Bad Bunny is performing at the Super Bowl, admitting he’s “never heard” of the artist . In January, Trump told the New York Post he wasn’t happy the musician would be performing, stating “I’m anti-them. I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred”.
Bad Bunny’s 2024 Election Involvement
Bad Bunny threw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris in October 2024 by sharing a video of the Democratic presidential nominee. This came after a comedian at a Trump rally called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” NPR. In response to this backlash, Bad Bunny posted an 8-minute video showcasing Puerto Rico’s natural landscapes with a message declaring “We have been fighting since day one of our existence, we are the definition of heart and resistance”.
Hurricane Maria and Government Criticism
Bad Bunny has been vocal about criticizing Puerto Rico’s electric system, which was razed by Hurricane Maria. In his songs ‘Una Velita’ in 2024 and ‘Estamos Bien’ in 2018, Bad Bunny criticized the government‘s sluggish response to the destructive hurricane. A year after Hurricane Maria, public health experts estimated that nearly 3,000 perished because of the effects, but Trump repeatedly questioned that number.
The NFL’s Strategic Decision
The NFL’s decision reflects their intensified efforts to grow its Latino fanbase. In 2024, NFL Senior Vice President Marissa Solis stated that league growth “is mathematically impossible without Latinos,” citing over 39 million Latino fans in the United States. Latino consumers rank as the world’s fifth-largest economy if measured independently with Latino purchasing power, estimated to be over $4.1 trillion.
Super Bowl LX will feature the broadest Spanish-language broadcast distribution in Super Bowl history, with both Fox Deportes and Telemundo producing separate Spanish-language coverage.
Immigration Enforcement Concerns
Bad Bunny has long been an outspoken critic of immigration enforcement, and In 2025, canceled the U.S. leg of his world tour, amid concerns that immigration enforcement and ICE activity could chill attendance among his largely Latino fan base. In response to the controversy, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that ICE agents would be present at the Super Bowl. However, an NFL memo stated “There are no planned ICE immigration enforcement operations associated with SBLX”.
Cultural Significance
In his statement, Bad Bunny highlighted the cultural significance of the event, saying, “This is for my people, my culture, and our history”. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell defended the decision, explaining it was made because of Bad Bunny’s immense popularity, stating “He’s one of the leading and most popular entertainers in the world”.
Conservative organization Turning Point USA announced that it intended to set up its own halftime musical performance as counterprogramming, with conservative musician Kid Rock announced as the headliner.
What This Represents
The performance represents a significant moment for Latino representation in American mainstream culture. While the NFL has stood by its decision despite political pressure, the controversy highlights ongoing tensions around language, culture, and immigration policy in the United States. Bad Bunny’s selection as the first solo artist to headline the Super Bowl while performing entirely in Spanish represents a breakthrough in recognition and representation on one of America’s biggest cultural stages—a milestone that some see as progress toward greater inclusivity, while others view as a departure from tradition.
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