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The sun hung low when Bad Bunny emerged in Puerto Rico’s sugar cane fields during his halftime show, surrounded by jíbaros in pavas (rural farmers in traditional straw hats), viejitos playing dominoes (an affectionate term for older men,) and a piragua stand (shaved ice) — undeniable symbols of Puerto Rico.
From a small Caribbean island with a complicated colonial history, to the world: The artist born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio brought Puerto Rican culture to the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, for his 2026 Super Bowl halftime show in what was always going to be a landmark moment for Latinos.
He started with his huge reggaeton-and-then-some hits, “Tití Me Preguntó” moving into “Yo Perreo Sola,” as he remerged on top of the casita (“little house”) from his Puerto Rican residency — Cardi B, Jessica Alba, Pedro Pascal, Karol G, Young Miko, Ronald Acuña Jr., Alix Earle and Dave Grutman were guests at his pari de marquesina (“house party.”)
Then he crashed through the roof — Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” played for a moment, clearly an acknowledgement and celebration of the Puerto Rican artists who laid the path for his career to go global.
“Mi nombre es Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio,” he introduced himself to the crowd in Spanish. “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.”
In English: “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 strings of his song “Monaco” played — then, a surprise Lady Gaga emerged at a real wedding scene, singing her portion of the Bruno Mars-duet “Die with a Smile,” joined by the salsa band Los Sobrinos. Her dress featured a maga, Puerto Rico’s national flower.
As they performed, the couple was married and Benito served as their witness and signed their certificate.
It also gave Benito time for a fashion change — rocking a white suit like a classic salsero — for “Baile Inolvidable” and “NuevaYol,” with a block party set where he took a shot with Toñita, owner of one of the last Puerto Rican social clubs in New York City, Brooklyn’s Caribbean Social Club.
Ricky Martin, one of Puerto Rico’s greatest crossover artists, performed Bad Bunny’s “Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii,” (“What Happened to Hawaii”), a rallying cry for Puerto Rico’s cultural autonomy in an era of neocolonialization. Martin sat in a plastic chair in front of a plantain tree; a scene that mirrored the cover of Bad Bunny’s 2025 album “Debí Tirar Más Fotos.”
Behind Martin, jíbaros in pavas climbed power poles that exploded, symbolic of Puerto Rico’s frequent blackouts and failing power grid. It queued up a moving performance of 2022 song “El Apagón” (“The Blackout”), in reference to Hurricane Maria, its aftermath and the continued anger and frustration over persistent, chronic power outages.
As he sang one of his most political songs, Bad Bunny held a Puerto Rico flag in red, white and baby blue — reflective of the Puerto Rican independence movement.
For around 13 minutes during the halftime show sponsored by Apple Music and Roc Nation, all eyes on the field — and around the world — were on Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio.
Bad Bunny performed entirely in Spanish — as all of his music is recorded in the language, though he has collaborated with English-language artists. The only English singing came from Gaga.
He did speak in English at the end of the set, however, when he said, “God Bless America,” and then named countries in the Americas: “Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil” and so on, including the United States and Canada — a reminder that while it is common to use “America” as a synonym for the U.S. in the U.S., it is the name used across two continents.
“And my motherland, mi patria, Puerto Rico, seguimos aquí.” In English, “My homeland, Puerto Rico, we are still here.”
Behind him, a screen read “The only thing more powerful than hate is love” in English text, a direct reference to one of his recent speeches at the 2026 Grammys.
He ended with “DtMF” as he walked out of the stadium, joined by musicians with güiros (a percussive instrument made of a hollow gourd) and panderetas (tambourines, a symbol of plena.)
For years, Bad Bunny has been one of the most-streamed artists on the planet. And on Sunday, he made it clear that his global popularity translates seamlessly to the biggest stage in the U.S. (Though he is no stranger to it. He previously appeared during the halftime show at Super Bowl LIV in 2020 alongside Jennifer Lopez and Shakira. He sang in Spanish alongside two artists whose bilingual hits helped usher in a crossover era for Latin music in the ’00s.)
Consider Bad Bunny’s 2026 halftime performance the cherry on top of a huge moment for the 31-year-old global superstar, who just 10 years ago was working at an Econo supermarket in Puerto Rico.
Last week, he took home album of the year at the 2026 Grammys for his “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” an album that marries folkloric tradition in local Borinquen genres like bomba, plena, salsa and música jíbara with contemporary styles like reggaeton, trap and pop. It marked the first time an all-Spanish language album won the top prize.
Like most headliners, Bad Bunny kept details of his halftime performance under wraps ahead of time, though many theorized there would be some kind of political performance. He’s been critical of President Donald Trump in the past and at the Grammys last Sunday, said “ICE out” while accepting a televised award. Bad Bunny’s latest tour skipped the continental U.S.; in an interview he said it was at least partially inspired by concerns that his fans could be targeted by immigration agents.
At a press conference on Thursday, Bad Bunny told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe and Ebro Darden viewers could expect a huge party — and joked that while viewers didn’t need to learn Spanish to enjoy his set; they should learn to dance.
“I want to bring to the stage, of course, a lot of my culture,” he said at the time. “I don’t want to give any spoilers. It’s going to be fun.”
Of course, he delivered on just that — with a message of hope and a reminder of Puerto Rico’s resiliency.
Stars were front-and-center at Super Bowl 60, with Chris Pratt and Jon Bon Jovi introducing the teams, a series of soaring pre-game performances and Bad Bunny’s much-anticipated halftime show featuruing a tour of Puerto Rican culture and a real-life marriage.
Before the game at Levi’s Stadium, Blue Ivy Carter and her sister Rumi leaped in an end zone and Green Day delievered a tribute to the NFL championship game’s 60th anniversary.
Brandi Carlile kept it sincere and simple for “America, the Beautiful,” Charlie Puth made “The Star-Spangled Banner” big and soulful and Coco Jones brought a bit of the elements of both to “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Bad Bunny recreates Puerto Rico in Northern California
Bad Bunny brought Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin and a whole lot of his native Puerto Rico to his halftime show.
“God bless America!” he shouted toward the end, one of the only English phrases in the 13-minute halftime show. Then he gave a roll call of the nations of North, South and Central America, including Uruguay, Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, the United States and Canada.
A parade of flags from those nations marched through the sugar plantation fields that functioned as the show’s centerpiece.
After the list of nations, and at the end of the show, he declared, “Mi Patria Puerto Rico, seguimos aquí,” or “My homeland Puerto Rico, we are still here.”
He also brought out a parade of celebrities, including Cardi B, Jessica Alba and Pedro Pascal.
The 31-year-old began the performance in the furrows of the faux sugar cane crops, walking past unmistakable Puerto Rican imagery including farmers in straw hats, old men playing dominos and a shaved ice stand as he performed his 2022 reggaeton hit “Tití Me Preguntó.” He carried a football and wore an all-white football jersey with the number 64 and his real last name, Ocasio.
He then stood atop a tiny pink house with dancers in the front yard and performed “Yo Perreo Sola” and stood atop a pickup truck as he did “EOO.”
The scene shifted to a wedding, where the marrying couple parted to reveal Lady Gaga as the first surprise guest. She joined Bad Bunny in performing “Baile Inolvidable.” Gaga did her own Super Bowl halftime show in 2017.
The couple was actually married during the show, according to a representative for Bad Bunny, who said he served as a witness and signed their marriage certificate.
Bad Bunny then broke into his “NuevaYol” in a faux shopping center parking lot.
Ricky Martin, a Puerto Rican star from a previous generation, joined him for “Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii.”
The show came a week after the 31-year-old superstar won the Grammy for album of the year for “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” a love letter to his home.
The halftime show included a young boy watching the Grammy telecast on TV with his parents. Bad Bunny appeared and handed the boy a Grammy statuette.
On Truth Social, President Donald Trump called the show “absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER!”
Green Day brings Bay rock — and an f-bomb — to an MVP parade
San Francisco Bay Area punk-pop vets Green Day took the pre-game stage and performed a snippet of their song “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” to a parade of former Super Bowl MVPs.
Local heroes Steve Young, Joe Montana and Jerry Rice were among those who walked out during the song meant to celebrate 60 years of Super Bowls.
Billie Joe Armstong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool then blasted into the harder and less sentimental stuff, including “Holiday,” “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” and “American Idiot.”
Armstrong did not censor the f-word in the lyrics of “American Idiot.” The word was muted on the NBC telecast but drew loud cheers inside the stadium.
Carlile and Puth deliver patriotic moments ahead of kickoff
Singer-songwriter Charlie Puth delivered a sweeping and soulful rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
The 34-year-old from New Jersey stood at a Rhodes electric piano as he sang and was backed by a choir and horn section.
His delivery felt slow and deliberate but it took him 1 minute, 56 seconds to sing, which is slightly faster than average for a Super Bowl anthem.
Before that, Brandi Carlile gave an earnest acoustic rendition of “America, the Beautiful.”
The 44-year-old folk and country rocker wore a black suit and was backed by a violin and cello on the field at Levi Stadium.
The Grammy winner told the AP this week that she’d use no prerecorded tracks, saying “the people deserve to have you live.”
After the song Carlile, who is from Ravensdale, Washington, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) outside Seattle said she was “relieved, and so excited for the Seahawks baby let’s go!”
Coco Jones opens Super Bowl 60 performances with ‘Lift Every Voice’
Coco Jones, a 28-year-old singer-songwriter and actor from Columbia, South Carolina wore a white gown and was backed by a string octet as she performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” a song that has become known as the unofficial Black national anthem.
“I feel really amazing, I hope that I did my ancestors proud, and I hope that I inspired the nation to come together,” Jones told the AP just after the song.
She FaceTimed with her mom on the sideline ater the performance while her fiance, Cleveland Cavaliers player Donovan Mitchell, held the phone.
Written by James Weldon Johnson, the song has been performed at the Super Bowl each year since 2021, the first Super Bowl after the protests surrounding the killing of George Floyd, when Black Lives Matter sentiment, and the song, became especially prominent.
Celebrities spotted at Super Bowl 60
Chris Pratt rocked a Seahawks jersey while attending the Super Bowl and gave a rousing introduction to the team before they ran out onto the field.
On the opposite side of the field, Jon Bon Jovi delivered the Patriots’ intro.
Stars including Travis Scott and Jay-Z were on the sidelines ahead of the game. Jay-Z’s daughters, Blue Ivy and Rumi Carter, leaped in one of the end zones to take a photo.
Among those sitting in suites watching the game were Justin Bieber, Hailey Bieber and Adam Sandler.
LaRussell and Brad Pitt during the breaks
During game breaks, Bay Area rapper LaRussell jammed alongside a choir, performing everything from rap classics such as his song “I’m From the Bay” and a rendition of Too $hort’s “Blow the Whistle,” along with gospel melodies.
LaRussell is the first artist chosen to curate the house band at the Super Bowl.
Among the commercials shown during the game was an unexpected first look at “The Adventures of Cliff Booth,” a Netflix sequel to Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood” with Brad Pitt reprising his stuntman character and David Fincher directing.
President Trump didn’t like the halftime show… pic.twitter.com/0z0l46TcAM
— Armando Salguero (@ArmandoSalguero) February 9, 2026