The anticipation for the Super Bowl LX halftime show has reached a fever pitch, and it is no surprise why. Bad Bunny, one of Puerto Rico’s most celebrated global icons, will take center stage in 2026 for a performance that blends music, culture, and sport in a way the Super Bowl has never seen before. As the NFL’s most ambitious international expansion continues through 2025—with regular-season games held in five countries—this show arrives at the perfect moment, bridging the world’s passion for football and Latin music on one stage.
Bad Bunny Makes Super Bowl History
Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, has become one of the most powerful cultural figures in music. At just 31 years old, the Puerto Rican superstar has already collected three Grammys and twelve Latin Grammys, pushing the global boundaries of reggaetón and Latin trap. When the NFL, Apple Music, and Roc Nation announced him as the headliner for the 2026 halftime show, it marked a historic moment—the first time a male Latin-American artist will lead the performance as a solo act, delivering a primarily Spanish-language set to millions worldwide.
The announcement on September 28, 2025, set social media ablaze, with fans celebrating what many view as a defining step for Latin representation in American sports culture. Bad Bunny himself captured the sentiment perfectly when he said: “What I’m feeling goes beyond myself. This is for my people, my culture, and our history. Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el HALFTIME SHOW DEL SUPER BOWL.” His words reflect the pride of Puerto Rico and its diaspora, transforming the halftime show into a global cultural statement.
The production team behind the performance is equally star-studded. Roc Nation and Emmy-winning producer Jesse Collins will oversee the show’s creation, with veteran director Hamish Hamilton crafting its visual narrative. This collaboration continues Apple Music’s trend of turning halftime performances into cinematic experiences. With the global popularity of Latin music surging and Forbes calling Bad Bunny’s selection “another milestone in the meteoric rise of Puerto Rican talent,” the expectations are sky-high.
Inside Levi’s Stadium: The Stage for History
Super Bowl LX will take place on February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California—home of the San Francisco 49ers. This will be the stadium’s second time hosting football’s biggest game, the first being Super Bowl 50 in 2016. With its modern architecture, 68,500-seat capacity, and open-air California atmosphere, the venue offers an ideal backdrop for a spectacle of this scale.
The game and halftime show will air on NBC and stream live through Peacock and NFL+, ensuring global accessibility for millions of viewers. The 2025 show, headlined by Kendrick Lamar and SZA, shattered records with 133.5 million viewers, and industry experts expect Bad Bunny’s performance to either match or surpass that milestone thanks to his international fanbase.
Levi’s Stadium’s sophisticated sound systems, LED integration, and logistics-ready infrastructure make it one of the few venues capable of handling halftime production of this magnitude. Beyond the technical marvel, the NFL’s alignment with Apple Music and Roc Nation ensures that every detail—from choreography to camera angles—will echo both cultural authenticity and innovative design. The performance will not just be a concert; it will be a statement of inclusion, artistry, and ambition, uniting sports, and music under one banner.
The Global NFL Stage Expands
The NFL’s 2025 season schedule will include seven regular-season games across five countries—Brazil, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Spain. This ambitious international slate highlights the league’s growing commitment to global audiences. Among the standout games: Week 1 features the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Los Angeles Chargers in São Paulo, Brazil, while Week 4 sees the Minnesota Vikings face the Pittsburgh Steelers at Croke Park in Dublin, marking the first regular-season NFL game ever played in Ireland.
Travel packages are already available for fans, including flights, premium accommodation, VIP seating, and cultural excursions. For many supporters, attending these games means more than watching football—it is about destination experiences that combine sport and travel. Corporate partners and travel companies are leveraging this new wave of “sports tourism” to attract fans who want an all-inclusive international experience.
Tickets for these international matchups are in massive demand, with many selling out within hours. The league’s strategy clearly works blending fan engagement with tourism to generate new revenue streams while building brand loyalty abroad. The NFL’s global expansion division and international games office are leading the charge, collaborating with host cities and local governments to design fan zones, events, and cultural activations around each matchup. This same approach—merging culture, sport, and entertainment—will play out again at the Super Bowl LX halftime show, now positioned as a cultural bridge to the world.
What Fans Can Expect on Game Day
The 2026 halftime show promises a setlist filled with Latin trap, reggaetón, and cultural flair, combining high-energy choreography with striking visual effects. Fans can expect songs from Bad Bunny’s latest album “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” alongside surprise collaborations that honor his Puerto Rican roots. Stage design is expected to highlight vibrant Caribbean motifs, bilingual visuals, and lighting designed for both in-stadium and global broadcast appeal.
Given the diversity of the modern NFL audience, Bad Bunny’s presence marks a shift toward bilingual and multicultural representation. His performance will not just entertain—it will connect. With Apple Music’s global reach, NBC’s telecast, and social media integration, the halftime show could reach audiences in record numbers.
As global interest grows, sponsors are expected to capitalize on the cultural energy surrounding the event, weaving brand messages into Latin-infused visual storytelling. The NFL’s goal is clear: turn the halftime show into a multi-platform celebration of sport and culture that resonates from San Juan to São Paulo, Dublin, and Berlin.
The Puerto Rican Moment
Puerto Rico stands at the heart of this moment. For Bad Bunny, representing his homeland is not a side note—it is the essence of the performance. His 31-show residency at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan cemented his status as a national icon, drawing massive crowds and boosting local tourism. His presence at the Super Bowl will project that pride worldwide, transforming the biggest night in American football into a platform for Puerto Rican identity and Latin American culture.
Beyond representation, the economic ripple effect is immense. Puerto Rican brands, fashion labels, and tourism initiatives may all benefit from global exposure. Cultural ambassadors see this as a moment of validation —proof that Latin music and identity have secured a permanent place in global mainstream culture. For millions of viewers, this is a celebration not just of Bad Bunny but of a collective Puerto Rican dream come to life.
Fans, Travel, and Fantasy Football Auction Values
The global excitement surrounding the NFL’s international games and the Super Bowl halftime show extends beyond entertainment—it shapes fan engagement on multiple levels. Travel companies have designed comprehensive fan trips that include VIP access, cultural tours, and stadium experiences across the 2025 international schedule. Fans are turning these journeys into once-in-a-lifetime adventures, merging sports, music, and global exploration.
Interestingly, this international momentum and cultural buzz can even impact fantasy football auction values. When players gain global visibility through high-profile events like international games or Super Bowl tie-ins, their market value and fan interest often surge. The same connection between music and sport creates new avenues for brand loyalty, sponsorship, and cultural marketing.
Host cities for international games such as São Paulo, Dublin, and Madrid are collaborating with the NFL to build fan zones and local celebrations, providing a template for how the Super Bowl will integrate community activation. Social media engagement, live streaming, and cross-market promotion are expected to turn the 2026 halftime show into a shared global experience.
Representation, Visibility, and Cultural Legacy
Bad Bunny’s performance is set to be a defining moment in how Latin culture intersects with American sport. It builds on the NFL’s larger goal of global inclusivity and the rising influence of Latin music as a mainstream force. For Puerto Ricans and Latin Americans, the show is a symbol of visibility on the world’s largest broadcast stage. It demonstrates that language barriers can be bridged through music, emotion, and representation.
Beyond the stage, expect auxiliary media events, community programs, and brand collaborations honoring Puerto Rican heritage. This alignment of sport, culture, and commerce ensures that the Super Bowl LX halftime show will reverberate long after the final whistle — as a landmark moment of cultural unity and global recognition.
Challenges and Expectations Ahead
Producing a halftime show of this scale comes with risks. Balancing cultural authenticity with broad appeal is a complex task. Technical coordination, bilingual presentation, and broadcast integration must be flawless. Yet the potential reward outweighs the risk: a performance that cements Bad Bunny’s legacy and reshapes how the NFL presents itself to the world.
Political debates have already emerged, highlighting how a cultural moment can spark larger conversations about identity and representation in American media. Still, most fans view this as a win for diversity and accessibility. The NFL is turning what used to be a national sporting event into a global celebration of music and culture.
A Moment Worth Dreaming About
Super Bowl LX on February 8, 2026, will be more than just a football game—it will be a cultural watershed. Bad Bunny’s halftime show represents a blend of heritage, global influence, and unapologetic celebration of Puerto Rico on the world stage. The NFL’s 2025 international expansion, the record-breaking audience figures, and the league’s cultural evolution all culminate at this moment.
From the heart of San Juan to the stands of Levi’s Stadium, the dream is real: Puerto Rican culture has taken its rightful place at the center of global sports entertainment. Fans everywhere can expect a performance that transcends language, genre, and borders—a Super Bowl halftime show that will be remembered not just for its music, but for its meaning.
