The Super Bowl LX halftime show has its headliner, and it’s none other than Bad Bunny. The Puerto Rican megastar will take the stage on Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, sparking a social media frenzy the moment the NFL made it official.
Long-rumored favorites like Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa were left on the sidelines as Bad Bunny, one of the world’s biggest artists, claimed the coveted spot. For the first time, the halftime show will be infused with the energy of Spanish-language music on the NFL’s grandest stage.
Bad Bunny’s U.S. fans left off world tour
The announcement comes with an ironic twist. Bad Bunny purposely skipped the United States on his current “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS World Tour,” despite hitting dozens of stops across Latin America, Europe, Asia and Oceania.
The reason? Immigration enforcement. In an interview with ID, the 30-year-old star revealed that concerns over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids played a key role in the decision.
“Latinos and Puerto Ricans of the United States could also travel here, or to any part of the world,” he explained. But there was the issue of, like, fucking ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.”
ICE raids and sporting events
Bad Bunny’s caution highlights fears among many Latino communities, but ICE has not made a habit of targeting major sporting events. There are few, if any, reported cases of immigration agents operating outside stadiums during high-profile gatherings like Mexico national team soccer games or Liga MX friendlies, which draw large immigrant crowds.
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For now, Super Bowl ticket sales have not been made public, and Santa Clara is in deep-blue California, a state with strong immigrant protections. Whether Bad Bunny’s concerns will play out on football’s biggest stage remains to be seen.
A potential political edge at Super Bowl LX
The singer, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, has never shied away from political statements. His 31-show residency in Puerto Rico included pointed social commentary, and his Super Bowl set could carry a similar message.
Bad Bunny announced his Super Bowl appearance with a wink, posting on X, “I’ll do just one date in the United States.” One is all he needs. If recent halftime trends hold, the show will send his streaming numbers soaring. Kendrick Lamar and Usher both saw Spotify plays jump between 150% and 600% after their performances.
Bad Bunny by the numbers
- Only Latino artist with more than 100 hits on the Billboard Hot 100
- 77 million monthly Spotify listeners
- Second most-streamed artist on Spotify in 2023, behind only Taylor Swift
- Over 33 billion YouTube views worldwide
With his mix of reggaeton, trap, and boundary-pushing artistry, Bad Bunny is about to turn the NFL’s biggest night into a global party, and he won’t need a U.S. tour to prove his reach.
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