Bad Bunny confirmed for Super Bowl 2026 halftime show as NFL announces historic booking

Bad Bunnywill headline theApple Music Super Bowl Halftime Shownext year in Santa Clara. The announcement was made during halftime of NBC's Sunday Night Football broadcast.

"What I'm feeling goes beyond myself," the singer said in a statement. "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."

Bad Bunny is poised to join a roster of international superstars who have fronted the spectacle in recent years, including Rihanna, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Shakira, and Jennifer Lopez.

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The performance is produced in partnership with Roc Nation, which faced allegations of a smear campaign last year, and Apple Music, which secured a multi-year sponsorship agreement with the league in 2022, reports the Mirror US.

The Puerto Rican sensation's selection follows widespread speculation over who would replace Kendrick Lamar, who delivered the 2025 performance in Las Vegas.

Naturally, fans flocked to X to share their reactions to the announcement. One user posted: "wait i'm seated he puts on a great show! ! finally a male performer i can get behind."

Another penned, "That halftime show just went from iconic to historic, whilst a third one wrote: "Bad Bunny performing at the Super Bowl Halftime Show this year has to be one of the worst picks possible."

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A fourth said: "The NFL finally realized who's really running the global charts. Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl is about to be the most streamed halftime show of all time."

Lamar's performance was met with both praise and controversy, sparking 125 complaints to the Federal Communications Commission. Bad Bunny's agreement follows a period where he deliberately avoided U.S. dates on his latest world tour, citing President Donald Trump's immigration policies as the reason.

The Super Bowl is set for February 8, 2026 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Last year's halftime show starred Rihanna, whose pregnancy announcement during her performance not only dominated headlines but also attracted over 121 million viewers, according to Nielsen figures.

The halftime show has evolved into one of the sport's most significant cultural events. Previous headline performances have led to career-defining moments, from Beyoncé's politically charged set in 2016 to Shakira and Lopez's bilingual showcase in 2020.

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