Puerto Rican musician Bad Bunny will perform this weekend at the United States’ most-watched concert – the halftime show of the 2026 Super Bowl – hot off the success of the Grammy Awards for his latest album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos.
The album, described as a “love letter to Puerto Rico”, became the first Spanish-language work to win the Grammy’s top prize, Album of the Year, and Best Música Urbana Album. The album’s fifth single, EoO, won Best Global Music Performance.
In his acceptance speech for Album of the Year, largely in Spanish, born rapper Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio dedicated the award to migrants.
“I want to dedicate this award to all the people who had to leave their homeland, their country, to follow their dreams,” he said.
Born and living in Puerto Rico, the 31-year-old artist has spoken out on issues of colonization, identity and immigration.
In Debí Tirar Más Fotos – which translates to “I should have taken more photos” – Bad Bunny addresses Puerto Rican identity, the lingering effects of colonization, and the displacement of residents on the island, an unincorporated territory of the United States.
He used his Grammy acceptance speech for the Best Música Urbana Album — awarded for Latin artists who showcase Latin urban styles — to criticize the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“Before I thank God, let me say ICE out,” he said to loud applause.
“We are not savages, we are not animals, we are not aliens. We are human beings and we are Americans.”
His protest at the event echoed the pro-immigration and anti-ICE sentiment of other winners, including Olivia Dean and Billie Eilish.
Since President Donald Trump took office last year, ICE agents have been deployed to several cities to carry out the government’s mass deportation of suspected illegal immigrants.
There were two civilians shot and killed by ICE agents in Minnesota last monthleading to mass protests in cities across the country.
Concert that makes history
The Super Bowl is America’s most watched television broadcast. A record 127.7 million Americans tuned in to watch the 2025 game, eclipsing the estimated viewership of 123 million a year earlier.
On Sunday, Bad Bunny will make history as the first Latino and Hispanic solo headliner at the Super Bowl. The halftime concert, which is now in its 60th edition, has previously featured artists such as Beyoncé, Prince, Rhianna and The Rolling Stones.
During a press conference on Thursday, Bad Bunny remained tight-lipped about his plans for the 13-minute performance, but said he wanted people to have fun.
“I obviously want to bring a lot of my culture to the stage,” he said.
“I really want people to have fun. It’s going to be a big party.”
Bad Bunny started releasing music on SoundCloud in 2016 and has since become one of the world’s most streamed artists.
His music sings in Puerto Rican Spanish about Latino and Puerto Rican pride and is often categorized as Latin trap, with influences from reggaeton – a popular Caribbean genre with roots in Jamaican dancehall – American hip hop and South American trap music.
When a verse from Cardi B’s 2018 hit I Like It propelled him into the mainstream, Bad Bunny already had more than a dozen top 40 hits on the U.S. Latin charts.
His third album, 2020’s El Último Tour del Mundo – meaning The Last World Tour – became the first Billboard number one to be recorded entirely in Spanish.
He was the most played artist on Spotify from 2020 to 2022 and again in 2025, with almost 20 billion streams.
He will tour Australia later this month, with two shows at Sydney’s ENGIE Stadium on February 28 and March 1.
Bad Bunny said he was excited about the Super Bowl performance.
“I grew up watching sports, playing sports, really bad,” he laughed.
“But I do love sports. It’s actually one of my favorite combinations, sports with music.”
Trump is not present
Trump said he will not attend the game, telling the New York Post in January that the venue in Santa Clara, California, was “too far away.”
Asked about the line-up, which featured American punk band Green Day opening the event, Trump said he was “anti-them”.
“I think it’s a terrible choice. It only sows hatred. Terrible,” he said.
During his world tour last year, Bad Bunny did not play the US mainland because he feared his fans would be targeted by ICE.
“There was the issue that fk ICE might be outside [the concert]’, he told iD Magazine in September. “And it’s something that we talked about and was very concerned about.”
Instead, he opted for a three-month residency in San Juan, Puerto Rico, which was estimated to bring $200 million to the local economy. Tickets were reserved almost exclusively for locals during the 31 shows.
Who’s playing in the Super Bowl?
The New England Patriots take on the Seattle Seahawks.
The two teams participated in the 2015 Super Bowl, which the Patriots won.
The Patriots have won six Super Bowl titles, in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2015, 2017 and 2019. The Seahawks beat the Denver Broncos in 2014.
When is the game?
The Super Bowl will be shown in the US on Sunday at 3.30pm local time, which is Monday morning in Australia.
The competition will take place on Monday at 10.30am in NSW, the ACT, Victoria and Tasmania, 10am in South Australia, 9.30am in Queensland and 7.30am in Western Australia.
The Super Bowl will be available to watch for free on Channel 7 and online on 7plus.
It airs on Disney+, Foxtel’s ESPN channel, or KAYO.
The halftime show, which typically lasts 12 to 15 minutes, takes place during halftime.
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