Bad Bunny to perform at Super Bowl Halftime Show in California
Bad Bunny announced on social media that he will perform at the halftime show of the first Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California.
The NFL stands by its decision to have Bad Bunny on stage at the 2026 Super Bowl amid criticism from President Donald Trump and numerous other conservative politicians.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said on Oct. 22 that the selection of the Grammy-winning Puerto Rican artist to headline the halftime show was “carefully considered,” according to the Associated Press.
Addressing the controversy during the NFL’s post-fall press conference, Goodell said, “I don’t think I’ve ever picked an artist that didn’t have some backlash or criticism. It’s pretty hard to do that with literally hundreds of millions of people watching.”
The 31-year-old, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, will be the first headline act to perform exclusively in Spanish.
“He’s one of the most popular, top-notch entertainers in the world, and that’s what we’re trying to accomplish. This is an important stage for us. It’s important to the entertainment value,” Goodell said, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
9月にこのニュースが発表されると、政治家やソーシャルメディアユーザーがバッド・バニーの今後の公演を政治問題化した。 Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, said “God Bless America” singer-songwriter Lee Greenwood would be a “clear and unequivocal priority,” and Trump criticized the NFL’s choice to name Roc Nation and Bad Bunny as headliners.
President Trump claimed in an interview with conservative news network Newsmax that he had “never heard of” Bad Bunny, one of the most streamed artists around the world in recent years.
“I don’t know who he is. I don’t know why they’re doing this. It’s like crazy,” he said. “Then they claim it’s the promoters they hired to take away the entertainment. I think that’s completely ridiculous.”
Bad Bunny has voiced his opposition to President Trump and his policies in the past. During President Trump’s first term in 2017, two hurricanes, including Hurricane Maria, hit Puerto Rico in quick succession, killing about 3,000 people and forcing thousands more to evacuate.
At the time, the reggaeton star criticized the Trump administration’s response and lack of aid to the island after the natural disaster.
Despite backlash, Roger Goodell says Bad Bunny performance ‘will be a good show’
A Change.org petition to replace Bad Bunny with George Strait as the halftime show headliner has 70,000 signatures and counting as of October 22nd.
The online petition states that while the music world’s biggest stages have “increasingly tilted towards modern pop and international artists” in recent years, artists like Strait “represent the heart and soul of American music.”
USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Strait, Bad Bunny and Roc Nation for comment.
Contributors: Rebecca Moerin and Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY
