Bad Bunny performed at the Super Bowl halftime show Sunday, celebrating his home of Puerto Rico with a vibrant display culture and history.
He opened the show in a sugar cane field, constructed from hundreds of individuals in costumes, performing “Tití Me Preguntó.” As he walked through the stalks, he showcased various aspects of Puerto Rican life, including several small businesses, such as Los Angeles taco stand Villa’s Tacos.
The show then shifted to a house with a crowd dancing around it, including well-known celebrities Pedro Pascal, Karol G and Cardi B. Bad Bunny stood on the roof while singing “Yo Perreo Sola,” "Safaera,“ "Party" and “VOY A LLeVARTE PA PR.”
He fell through the roof of the house into a family room before walking out to Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina.” He followed the pop song by standing atop a truck and performing “EoO” with a huge crowd dancing around him.
Then, the performance transitioned to Bad Bunny among the sugar cane stalks where he shared a message about self-belief, sharing how his trust in his dreams led him to his career and how viewers should do the same.
He went on to perform “MONACO” alongside a string orchestra conducted by Giancarlo Guerrero, music director of the Sarasota Orchestra. The video cut to a wedding scene, which has been confirmed as a real wedding.
Director Hamish Hamilton shared in an interview with Variety, “the engaged couple wound up with 15 extra wedding announcements … They were like, ‘Why don’t we send one to Bad Bunny?’”
The couple had “planned to make Bad Bunny’s ‘BAILE INoLVIDABLE’ be their first dance.”
Another special moment occurred with a surprise performance from Lady Gaga, who performed a salsa-inspired version of her song “Die With a Smile,” accompanied by a live band. Gaga danced with Bad Bunny to “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” as the wedding reception cotninued around them.
When the song ended, Bad Bunny plummeted off the roof as “NUEVAYoL” began. The song included a sample from boxer Félix “Tito” Trinidad proclaiming, “The best in the world. Number one, best in the world, OK? ¡Puerto Rico!”
This statement plays in the background as Bad Bunny hands his Album of the Year Grammy award to a young child. Although some suspected at first that it was Liam Ramos, the five-year-old detained by ICE earlier this year, it was later revealed that it was child actor Lincoln Fox Ramadan.
Ricky Martin then joined the show, in a scene of the album cover for “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS.” He performed “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii.” As the song ended, an explosion occurred behind him, with sparks flying off several power lines, a reference to the ongoing problem of power outages in the territory. Bad Bunny arrived holding the Puerto Rican flag, with a twist.
This flag had a light blue colouring, which comes from the Grito de Lares flag, the flag for the original independence movement in Puerto Rico.
Bad Bunny ascended the power station to “El Apagón,” which translates to “The Blackout.”
There’s more fireworks as Bad Bunny switches to “CAFé CON RON.” During this, the flags for much of North and South America arrived before he declares, “God Bless America.”
Bad Bunny listed other countries throughout the North and South American continents, represented by the flags carried behind them, deepening the meaning of “God Bless America.” He ended with the U.S. and Canada, which are usually listed first.
In a very quick reveal, the football he was carrying was flipped to show that it said “Together we are all America.” He then spiked the football while exiting the field to “DtMF” as the jumbotron displayed the message, “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.”
Due to controversy around Bad Bunny’s all-Spanish performance, the conservative political organization Turning Point USA opted to host its own halftime show.
The “All-American Halftime Show” was dedicated to Charlie Kirk. It was headlined by Kid Rock and also featured performances from Gabby Barrett, Lee Brice and Brantley Gilbert.
At 36 minutes, it went almost three times as long as Bad Bunny’s 13-minute set. The show peaked at six million viewers on the YouTube stream.
On the other side, Bad Bunny averaged 128 million viewers, which was above the Super Bowl half time show average of 125 million.
The NFL’s play for viewership worked well after another incredibly successful halftime performance by Kendrick Lamar during the previous Super Bowl. Music and football fans alike wait in anticipation to see who the headliner for 2027 will be.
