After initial speculation pointed to Taylor Swift, the NFL has confirmed otherwise. In collaboration with Apple Music and Roc Nation, the league announced last night that Bad Bunny will headline the Super Bowl LX Halftime Show at Levi’s Stadium on February 8, 2026.
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The three-time GRAMMY-winning Puerto Rican superstar, who has sold out stadiums worldwide, including in the U.S., is set to bring Latin trap and reggaeton to the biggest stage in American sports, as advertised by the league in their official statement.
The announcement, however, hasn’t been universally celebrated.
From many fans, two concerns keep surfacing online. First, Bad Bunny has intentionally skipped U.S. tour dates in 2025, citing ICE’s history of deportations and raids at Latino events.
In an interview with i-D, he once explained that “ICE could be outside (my concert),” a reality he and his team were not willing to risk for his fans. Some critics argue this stance complicates his position as the face of America’s biggest annual event.
“With thousands of Hispanic followers gathered in one place, ICE officials would be able to interrogate his base and make arrests at their discretion,” read a report.
The second sticking point has been Bad Bunny’s catalog. With most of his songs performed in Spanish, detractors online have questioned whether the halftime show, traditionally dominated by English-language sets, can connect with the broader NFL audience, who aren’t well-versed in Latino music.
One viral comment read: “Who is Bad Bunny and why is he the Super Bowl halftime show? From what I’ve heard all his songs aren’t even in English. Last time I checked this was America.” Another post bluntly added: “Now I like Bad Bunny but the only song I know that he has in English is ‘I Like It,’ and he’s not even speaking English in that song.”
Still, for every critic, there have been countless supporters. And no endorsement carried more weight, or sparked more buzz, than that of Bruno Mars.
The ‘24K Magic’ hitmaker took to “X” to amplify Bad Bunny’s own words from his announcement:
““What I’m feeling goes beyond myself,” Bad Bunny said in a statement. “It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown… this is for my people, my culture, and our history. Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el HALFTIME SHOW DEL SUPER BOWL,”” wrote Mars, before closing with a simple rallying cry: “Go get em Bad Bunny!”
That post has since exploded online, racking up more than 61,000 likes and 1.6 million views, making Bruno Mars one of the loudest celebrity voices to stand behind Bad Bunny and the NFL’s decision.
All told, between industry titans, Apple Music executives, and now stars like Bruno Mars, the consensus is clear: the 2026 halftime show is poised to be a cultural milestone. So whether his setlist is in Spanish, English, or both, Bad Bunny’s performance will carry the weight of representation far bigger than the game itself.
And last but not least, with the NFL’s aggressive expansion plans to new markets, perhaps a Spanish music-heavy setlist would be just enough incentive for Latin American residents to tune into the biggest spectacle in the world.
