Bad Bunny’s 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show Represented Solidarity and Compassion

By: Maya Tinajero, Skyline Editor 

ALPINE – There was much controversy surrounding the NFL’s decision to have Puerto Rican rapper and singer Bad Bunny, whose legal name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, perform at the Superbowl’s 2026 halftime show.  

 Many far-right activists and conservatives such as President Trump and House Speaker Rep. Mike Johnson called the selection “terrible.” This anger from the right can partly be attributed to Bad Bunny’s activism, often referred to by his critics as “anti-American”, as most his songs contain socially conscious messages advocating for the autonomy of Puerto Rico, such as “Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii," and raising awareness for transgender survivors of domestic violence.  

Despite the backlash, Bad Bunny has the support of the NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who called the musician “one of the great artists in the world.” Bad Bunny took the stage this Sunday with a performance oozing with Latino pride, culture, and solidarity.  

The performance was characterized by an unmatched production level in comparison to other halftime performances. The stage included “street foods” such as piraguas, haggling vendors, and a boxing match while the singer mingled with various groups of actors and dancers. To Hispanic Americans, which make up well over 50% of the US population, the people, dancing, and culture brought to the stage were both familiar and warm.

 Even more personal was the segment of the show that featured an actual wedding ceremony. During the hit song “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” Bad Bunny shares a dance with American singer Lady Gaga and the camera pans to show dancing couples, children, as well as a single child falling asleep on a row of chairs. This vibrant scene is familiar to anyone who has attended a Latino wedding, quinceañera, or family gathering.  

There were also certain callbacks in Bad Bunny’s performance which left the audience with an emotional sting. Recently, the artist had come under fire for his speech at the Grammys, where when accepting the award for Best Música Urbana Album, he said, “Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say, ICE out.” he followed up the statement saying, “We’re not savages, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans, and we are Americans.”  

Despite cheers from the crowd at his comments, the White House took serious offense. Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary, responded to Bad Bunny’s speech saying it is “ironic and frankly sad to see celebrities who live in gated communities with private security, with millions of dollars to spend protecting themselves, trying to demonize law enforcement.” Rather than shying away from the subject during his busy performance, Bad Bunny took a minute away from the chaos to pass his Grammy to a child performer, watching the speech with his on-screen parents. 

 Bad Bunny’s performance showed an embrace of all the various cultures that exist within our country, not a blatant “call out”of ICE or Trump as some critics speculated.This embrace lasted until the very end, as Bad Bunny finished the show by walking off the field with his co-performers behind him, hoisting the flags of countries such as Belize, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the United States. A message on screen behind the large group read “the only thing more powerful than hate is love.”