Puerto Rico on stage: Bad Bunny turns the Super Bowl into a Latin America lesson
This article was originally published in German. The English version is an automatic translation and may contain errors. The German original is authoritative.
Puerto Rico, Reggaeton, Salsa – and suddenly the Super Bowl is celebrating not just touchdowns, but entire continents.
Bunny Score! More fiesta than first down
The Super Bowl is primarily known as the world's largest sporting festival, where football players chase yards by the minute, whilst spectators endure advertisement after advertisement by the second. But this year, the Super Bowl experienced something that even die-hard fans of tackles and touchdowns paused at the sideline for: Bad Bunny as the half-time headline act. Yes, you read that right: a Puerto Rican reggaeton star instead of a typical gringoheadline act. And that almost exclusively in Spanish!
Well, not quite: At the end, Bad Bunny alias Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio said "God bless America". However, he didn't refer to just the USA as usual. No, he called out Canada, Mexico, Chile, Argentina and every other state between Alaska and Tierra del Fuego by name. A patriotic shock for anyone who had only thought of "America" within red-white-and-blue borders until now.
But anyone who expected only a musical show was mistaken: Behind the performance lies a statement – and not just musically, but culturally. Bad Bunny is the first Latino solo artist to rock this stage as the main act alone. In doing so, he doesn't use it simply to deliver a few beats (by the way: Best Album of the Year 2026), but to celebrate Puerto Rico, Latin America and unity across the American continent.
During the 13-minute show, Levi's Stadium transformed into a Caribbean stage – including "La Casita", a sugar cane field backdrop that recalls the history of slavery and even a real wedding, in which the artist served as a witness. Live, legal and spectacular. One has to ask: Was that still football or already tropical fusion performance art?
The Price of Visibility
Of course, modern major events wouldn't be complete without controversy. Even beforehand, US immigration policy generated absurd headlines: would Bad Bunny even be allowed to perform legally? Spoiler: Puerto Rico is US territory, Bad Bunny is a US citizen – yet some conservative voices still imagined ICE showing up with handcuffs at Levi's Stadium to arrest the bad bunny. Keep dreaming!
Furthermore: surprise! Of all people, US President Donald Trump called the performance "one of the worst ever" and ranted about the Spanish language on stage. As if the stadium had suddenly become an English exam. But the 31-year-old singer has been a thorn in Trump's and the MAGA world's side for years!
Bad Bunny: from pop star to folk hero
Benito uses his global reach not only for music, but also for political visibility. He speaks about issues such as colonialism, social inequality and structural problems in Puerto Rico. In his song El Apagón ("The Blackout") he addresses recurring blackouts and everyday difficulties, for example. Accompanying this, he released the documentary film Aquí Vive Gente, which sheds light on chronic power outages, privatisation, gentrification and other social challenges on his home island.
In 2019, Bad Bunny even cancelled his own tour to support the mass protests against corruption in Puerto Rico. Standing alongside thousands of demonstrators in front of the Capitol in San Juan, he helped bring about the governor's resignation. A rare success that he amplified through his presence and voice.
In recent months, he repeatedly criticised the US immigration authority ICE. At the Grammys, he called "ICE out!"to draw attention to deportation policy and dehumanisation, which earned him a standing ovation from the audience. He also deliberately removed the USA from his world tour. He feared ICE raids at his concerts and wanted to protect the safety of his predominantly Latino fans. Music should bring joy and connection, not fear of deportation.
This role as a people's hero and voice of his community makes conservative circles nervous. Bad Bunny stands for cultural self-determination, criticises Trump policies and makes minorities visible.
What have we learnt?
In the end, the question remains: What have we learnt? That a Super Bowl does not necessarily have to be driven by "Eye of the Tiger". That cultural diversity also has a place in a global pop spectacle. And that a man from Puerto Rico can say more about community in 13 minutes than some politicians can in 13 years. Perhaps that is the true touchdown: A moment in which music moves more than mass and medals combined.