2026 Super Bowl Halftime Performance

Each year, hundreds of millions of Americans gather to watch or attend the Super Bowl. However, the Super Bowl has also become a platform where artists critique our political culture. Last year, Kendrick Lamar used his Super Bowl performance to critique America. His performance relied heavily on symbolism, imagery, and song selection to discuss the racial inequality, state violence, and contradictions of American patriotism. Lamar’s performance showed the uncomfortable truth about who America uplifts and marginalizes, demonstrating how the Super Bowl can be used as a platform for political expression. This year’s halftime performance by Bad Bunny can similarly be understood as a political stance within the current immigration climate shaped by the Trump administration. As Lamar’s critique centered on race and systemic injustice, Bad Bunny’s performance will shift the focus to immigration, language, and Latino belonging. By performing his songs in Spanish and embracing cultural representation, he challenges exclusionary rhetoric and enforcement practices. Bad Bunny’s 2026 Super Bowl performance can be interpreted as a political stance because, in the context of heightened immigration enforcement under Trump’s administration, it centers the Spanish language and Latino identity. 

To understand the political significance of Bad Bunny’s performance, it is necessary to understand who he is. Bad Bunny is a Puerto Rican artist who achieved global success without conforming to traditional American pop culture. Bad Bunny did not rely on English language crossover songs; instead, he built his career performing almost exclusively in Spanish. His success challenges the long-standing assumptions that immigrant or Latino artists must adapt linguistically and culturally to be accepted in American mainstream spaces. Bad Bunny’s visibility represents more than musical achievement. He embodies a form of Latino identity that is unapologetic, highly visible, and doesn’t assimilate into Anglo-American culture, making his presence on a national stage political. 

In addition, Bad Bunny’s political significance can be further understood by his recent decision not to tour the continental United States for his “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” Tour. Bad Bunny announced that the tour would be centered in Puerto Rico rather than across U.S. cities. This decision stemmed from the heightened immigration enforcement and ICE activity, emphasizing how the tour has political implications. This decision was widely interpreted as a response to the hostile immigration climate, signaling solidarity with Latino and immigrant communities facing increased surveillance and raids. However, by refusing to tour U.S. cities while remaining open to appearing on America’s largest televised stage, Bad Bunny is being selective with his visibility, strategically choosing when and how Latino culture enters American public spaces. In the context of intensified immigration raids and exclusionary policies, this move transforms the halftime show into a political stance, showing how Bad Bunny is not seeking acceptance through assimilation but asserting his presence on his own terms. 

Another reason why Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance can be viewed as a political stance is the likelihood that it will be performed primarily in Spanish. Bad Bunny has consistently resisted the pressure to translate his music into English. This year’s Super Bowl halftime show marks the first time a headlining performance on stage will be conducted in a non-English language. In today’s political climate, there is significant pressure for immigrants to assimilate into Anglo-American culture. As well, Spanish has often been framed within the discussion of foreigners, immigration, assimilation, and national identity. In addition, Bad Bunny responded to the criticism of his performance being in Spanish by stating that viewers “have four months to learn Spanish.” Bad Bunny has explicitly rejected the idea that success in the U.S. requires linguistic assimilation, positioning Spanish not as a barrier but as a source of cultural power. Performing in Spanish directly challenges exclusionary narratives that associate English with legitimacy and belonging in the U.S. At a time when ICE raids and enforcement practices disproportionately affect Spanish-speaking communities, this performance affirms the presence of Latino culture in the United States. Rather than adapting to American norms, Bad Bunny redefines them, turning language itself into a political statement about visibility, resistance, and who is allowed to be heard in the national spotlight. 

In today’s political climate, Bad Bunny's performance in Spanish becomes even more pronounced when situated within the broader context of immigration raids and the rhetoric surrounding immigration under the Trump administration. The Trump administration has consistently framed immigrants, especially Latino and Spanish-speaking communities, as threats to national security. This administration has enforced through ICE raids, which function not only as an enforcement mechanism but also as a power move to instill fear into vulnerable communities. With the increase in ICE raids, ICE agents have been told to target anyone who speaks Spanish, making Spanish-speaking individuals more vulnerable regardless of their legal status. With this, a Super Bowl halftime performance in Spanish carries political weight. Bad Bunny's performance places Spanish and Latino culture at the center of the most-watched event in the country. Even as the administration continues to marginalize Spanish-speaking communities, Bad Bunny counters this through his performance. The performance challenges the political climate America is in, and will shine a light that others have tried to dim.

Overall, Bad Bunny’s 2026 Super Bowl halftime performance is not just entertainment, but rather a political stance shaped by the current immigration climate in the United States. The Super Bowl can serve as a platform for critiquing America. Through his refusal to assimilate, his decision not to tour the continental United States, and his choice to perform in Spanish. Bad Bunny asserts cultural visibility in a moment when Latino and immigrant communities are increasingly targeted by enforcement under the Trump administration. As ICE raids and political discourse seek to marginalize Spanish-speaking communities, Bad Bunny’s performance places Latino identity at the center of American television. Rather than simply entertaining, Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance illustrates how cultural expression can serve as a powerful form of political resistance in moments of national exclusion.

Featured Image: Daily Voice