"God bless America," Bad Bunny said in English at the end of his 13-minute Super Bowl half-time show that was performed mostly in Spanish, a historic moment for Latin music on one of America's biggest stages.
As back-up dancers flanked the singer, waving the flags of Latin American countries, Bad Bunny recited the names of the nations, as well as the US and Canada. He held up a football inscribed with the phrase "together we are America" as fireworks lit up Levi's Stadium and a jumbotron behind him displayed the words: "The only thing more powerful than hate is love."
It's the same message Bad Bunny delivered at the Grammys last week, where he made history by winning Album of the Year for a record sung entirely in Spanish. His speech included a pointed rebuke of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE, whose deportation policies he has criticised in the past, punctuating the moment with the words: “ICE out”.
Bad Bunny, however, did not directly reference ICE during his Super Bowl performance, which may have been less political than some expected, but had plenty of symbolism and messages.
In one of the show’s most touching moments, cameras cut to a young boy sitting with his family and watching on television as Bad Bunny accepted the Grammy. The singer then hands his trophy to the child, who beamed with excitement. That sequence prompted social-media speculation that it was a nod to five-year-old Liam Ramos, the Minnesota boy whose detention by ICE sparked national outcry last month.
The set featured a sugarcane plantation, domino players, a Latino wedding and electricity poles during El Apagon (The Blackout), a song that criticises Puerto Rico’s chronic power cuts and failing infrastructure.
Bad Bunny was later joined by Lady Gaga, who performed a salsa version of her Bruno Mars collaboration Die with a Smile.
Ricky Martin delivered a near a cappella rendition of Lo Que Le Paso a Hawai‘i (What Happened to Hawaii), a 2025 Bad Bunny song that serves as a warning against colonial displacement in Puerto Rico, drawing parallels with the colonisation and displacement of indigenous communities in Hawaii.
Other celebrity appearances included actress Jessica Alba, rapper Cardi B, actor Pedro Pascal and singer Karol G.
The choice of Bad Bunny, whose full name is Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, to feature in the half-time show drew a rebuke from US President Donald Trump and other conservatives over the entertainer's outspoken criticism of US immigration policy.
Trump called the performance "one of the worst ever".
"It makes no sense, is an affront to the greatness of America and doesn’t represent our standards of success, creativity or excellence. Nobody understands a word this guy is saying," he posted on social media. "This 'show' is just a slap in the face to our country," he added.
