Bad Bunny’s Halftime Show Mostly Avoids Politics, Leans Into Joy: Here’s What He Said Instead

Bad Bunny didn’t turn his Super Bowl halftime moment into a political statement — and that seemed intentional.

On Sunday, Feb. 8, the Puerto Rican superstar headlined the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show with a high-energy celebration built around music, movement, and pride. The performance played like a massive dance party, spotlighting his biggest hits and unmistakable style.

Performing on a midfield stage designed to resemble his signature pink “La Casita,” Bad Bunny was joined by a lineup of familiar faces, including Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin, Cardi B, Alix Earle, Pedro Pascal, Jessica Alba, and others.

As the show wrapped, Bad Bunny shifted the tone toward unity. Flags representing countries across the Americas appeared behind him, underscoring a message of connection rather than division.

“God bless America,” he said, naming countries such as Chile and Argentina before switching to English to say “United States,” followed by Canada, and finally closing with “my motherland, Puerto Rico” — delivered in both Spanish and English.

A massive video board behind him drove the message home: “The Only Thing More Powerful Than Hate is Love.”

He ended the performance by saying “We’re still here” in Spanish, then spiking a football emblazoned with the words, “Together We Are America.”

Some viewers had expected a more overtly political performance, given Bad Bunny’s past comments and decisions.

Last year, the “Monaco” singer made headlines when he chose not to bring his record-setting Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour to the U.S., citing concerns about mass deportations and the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents amid an ongoing immigration crackdown.

“There were many reasons why I didn’t show up in the U.S., and none of them were out of hate — I’ve performed there many times,” Bad Bunny told i-D last fall. “All of [the shows] have been successful. All of them have been magnificent.”

“But there was the issue of — like, f—ing ICE could be outside [my concert],” he added. “And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.”

When he was announced as the Super Bowl halftime performer in September, Bad Bunny acknowledged the moment in a post on X, saying he would perform just one date in the United States and that the show would be “for my people, my culture, and our history.”

Days later, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said ICE agents would “be all over” Super Bowl LX. Former President Donald Trump, meanwhile, said he had “never heard of” Bad Bunny and confirmed he would not attend the performance.

“I don’t know who he is,” Trump said while calling into Newsmax’s Greg Kelly Reports last fall. “I don’t know why they’re doing it, it’s crazy… I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”

Bad Bunny has continued to use major moments to spotlight shared experiences rather than partisan divides. When he won Album of the Year at the 2026 Grammys, he dedicated the award to “all the people that had to leave their homeland, their country, to follow their dreams.”

Speaking in Spanish, he added: “To all the people who have lost a loved one and have needed to keep going with much strength, this award is for you. Thank you for so much love. I love you.” He also thanked Latinos around the world and the artists who came before him.

Earlier this month, while releasing the trailer for his Super Bowl performance, Bad Bunny explained that the moment meant more than personal success.

“What I’m feeling goes beyond myself,” he said. “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.”