Bad Bunny promised that “the world will dance,” and on Super Bowl Sunday, he made good on it. While delivering one of the most culturally and politically resonant halftime shows in the event’s history.
Headlining the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show. Bad Bunny transformed the field into a sprawling celebration of Latin identity, migration, memory, and joy. Joined by Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin, and a constellation of Latino stars and cultural figures. Bad Bunny performed before more than 125 million viewers and used the stage to make a clear statement: unity is stronger than hate.
The show closed with Bad Bunny declaring “God bless America,” before naming every country across the Americas including the United States, Canada, and his “motherland,” Puerto Rico. Behind him, a massive billboard flashed a message impossible to miss: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.”
Culture as Celebration and Resistance
The message resonated beyond music. Many moments were widely interpreted as a rebuke to anti-immigration rhetoric and policy, particularly associated with the Donald Trump administration. Political symbolism was layered throughout the performance. From a cream Zara jersey stamped with the number 64 widely seen as a reference to early-reported Hurricane Maria death tolls to repeated invocations of Puerto Rican resilience. Hurricane Maria claimed almost 5,000 lives officially.
At one of the night’s most emotionally charged moments. Footage from Bad Bunny’s recent Grammy Awards acceptance speech where he said “ICE out” and condemned racism played on a small television. A young boy resembling Liam, the 5-year-old detained by ICE in Minneapolis last month, appeared onscreen before Bad Bunny handed him his Grammy Award.
Outside the stadium, protesters gathered near Tasman Drive carrying “ICE OUT!” towels and “Abolish ICE Now!” signs as fans streamed in. Despite prior warnings from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, ICE agents were not visibly present at the game.
A Dance Party With Deep Roots
Musically, the performance never lost its sense of joy. Bad Bunny kicked things off with “Tití Me Preguntó,” roaming through a sugar-cane field that morphed into a Puerto Rican neighborhood complete with domino-playing viejitos, a Villa’s Tacos stand, a nail salon, a barber shop, and even a boxing ring featuring Puerto Rican fighters Xander Zayas and Emiliano Vargas.
From the rooftop of a recreated casita, Bad Bunny performed “Yo Perreo Sola” as Latino stars including Karol G, Cardi B, Jessica Alba, and Pedro Pascal danced beneath the on-field structure in a vivid show of pan-Latino unity.
Lady Gaga’s appearance marked one of the night’s defining moments. Emerging during “Monaco,” she joined Bad Bunny for a Puerto Rican wedding-inspired, salsa-inflected reimagining of her 2024 hit “Die With a Smile,” backed by legendary salsa musicians Los Sobrinos. The two then shared a joyful dance to “Baile Inolvidable.”
“Dance, dance, dance without fear,” Bad Bunny said in Spanish before launching into “Nueva Yol.”
Memory, Loss, and Puerto Rico
Ricky Martin’s entrance shifted the tone. Seated beside an empty plastic chair echoing the cover of Debí tirar más fotos Martin sang alone as dancers behind him reenacted an electrocution during an apagón. A haunting reference to the months-long blackout following Hurricane Maria in 2017. The empty chair was widely interpreted as representing the more than 3,000 lives lost.
The two Puerto Rican icons reunited for “El Apagón,” with Bad Bunny declaring, “Puerto Rico está bien cabrón!” as the stadium erupted.
As the finale approached, dancers carrying flags from across the Americas filled the field during “Café Con Ron,” backed by Los Pleneros de la Cresta. Bad Bunny then held up a football bearing a final message: “Together, we are America.”
Fireworks lit the sky as the show closed with “DTMF,” turning the field into a massive dance floor.
A Historic Halftime Moment
Sunday marked the first primarily Spanish-language halftime show in Super Bowl history. Bad Bunny previously appeared as a guest in 2020 during Shakira and **Jennifer Lopez’s performance. While Gloria Estefan remains the only other Latin artist to headline or co-headline the halftime show.
Bad Bunny’s performance wasn’t just entertainment it was a declaration. Culture is meant to be shared. Love is stronger than hate. Together, we are America. And on this night, everyone was invited onto the dance floor.
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Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
