The NFL confirmed that global sensation Bad Bunny will headline the halftime show at Super Bowl LX, scheduled for February 8, 2026, at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
"What I'm feeling goes beyond myself," Bad Bunny said in a statement about the news. "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."
"What Benito has done and continues to do for Puerto Rico is truly inspiring," Jay-Z said in a statement. "We are honored to have him on the world's biggest stage."
Latinos have been shaping the Super Bowl halftime show for more than three decades, but 2026 is set to mark a turning point. When the NFL confirmed that Bad Bunny will headline the show at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, it wasn't just another big booking. It was a cultural declaration: for the first time, the world's biggest televised concert will be delivered entirely in Spanish.
The road to this moment started in the early 1990s, when Gloria Estefan broke barriers as the first Latina to perform at halftime. She appeared in 1992 with the Miami Sound Machine and returned in 1999 for a "Soul, Salsa & Swing" showcase alongside Stevie Wonder. Estefan's Miami sound injected the rhythms of Cuban and Caribbean culture into a show that had long catered to mainstream rock and pop audiences.
By 2000, the Latino presence expanded. Christina Aguilera, who has Ecuadorian roots, and Spanish pop icon Enrique Iglesias joined Toni Braxton and Phil Collins in the "Tapestry of Nations" halftime theme tied to Disney's Millennium Celebration. Though they weren't headliners, their inclusion signaled how Latino voices were becoming essential in shaping the global pop canon, even in spaces dominated by American football.
Two decades later, the needle moved even further when Jennifer Lopez and Shakira co-headlined the 2020 halftime show in Miami. Their electric performance blended salsa, reggaeton, and global pop, celebrating Latina identity on a massive stage. It was hailed as a watershed moment for Latin music, setting record streaming spikes for both artists and reminding the NFL of the enormous draw of Latino talent.
That legacy now sets the stage for Bad Bunny. As one of the most streamed artists in the world, he represents a new era in which Spanish-language music no longer needs a translation to dominate. His halftime show will be the first performed entirely in Spanish, a milestone that underlines not just his own influence but also the economic and cultural power of Latinos in the United States. It's also striking given his past comments: he had said he would skip touring in the U.S. to protect his fans from ICE, citing concerns about immigration raids. Before the Super Bowl announcement, he even teased on social media that he might make "one date" in the United States—a statement that now reads like a hint at this historic booking.
For the NFL, the decision marries business with culture. Latinos are the fastest-growing fan base and represent trillions in consumer spending power. By giving Bad Bunny the halftime stage, the league isn't just honoring his superstardom—it is acknowledging the communities that drive ticket sales, merchandise, and global attention. From Gloria Estefan to Jennifer Lopez and Shakira, every Latino presence at halftime has paved the way. But Bad Bunny's performance promises to be more than an act. It will be history written in Spanish, echoing from Miami to Mexico to Madrid.
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