By: Chloe Wilson

Culture Editor

Three-time Grammy and 12-time Latin Grammy winner Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, professionally known as Bad Bunny, will be headlining the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime show hosted in Santa Clara, California. The National Football League announced this during a Sunday night football game. 

Bad Bunny expressed his gratitude and excitement over this honor: “What I’m feeling goes beyond myself. It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown.” Half a million fans attended Bad Bunny’s residency in Puerto Rico just before the Super Bowl announcement. The singer decided previously not to host any shows in the continental United States due to concerns that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents might be present at the venues. The singer also exclaimed, “Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el Halftime show del Super Bowl (Go and tell your grandma that we’re going to be the Super Bowl halftime show performer).”

Additionally, the singer hosted the season premiere of Saturday Night Live. After facing backlash from certain groups on the announcement of his halftime show, he decided to address critics during his monologue, joking, “I think everyone is happy about it (the Halftime show), even Fox News.” Despite navigating through the backlash of the announcement, the singer has millions of fans in the US who are extraordinarily excited about his performance. Past Super Bowl headliners such as Bruno Mars, Jennifer Lopez, and Shakira have become advocates for him. For example, during an interview for CBS, Lopez shared her thoughts, “I think it’s wonderful people will get exposed to him who don’t know him. Just give it a chance! Music and art transcend languages, and he’s done that more than anybody.” Shakira also enthused, “Welcome back to the Super Bowl stage! Aquí va mi gente Latina!!” and Bruno Mars, “Go get ‘em, Bad Bunny!” 

His halftime show will be the first Super Bowl recorded solely in Spanish. The language barrier within his music has not stopped him from becoming a household name. He continues to be a top-streamed artist on Spotify, proving that he does not need to sing in English to gain attraction from fans all around the world. His halftime performance is sure to be a multicultural celebration. He told Apple Music, “I’m really excited for my friends, my family, Puerto Rico, all the Latino people around the world. I’m excited about my culture. I’m excited about everything, not just for me.” It is apparent that he will go all out during his performance, making for a great show in the middle of the most annually watched event in the United States. 

(Sources: CNN, Cosmopolitan, NPR, Rolling Stone)