Blink-and-You-Miss-It Moments From Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Takeover

Written by Isabella I.
Isabella I.

Isabella is a writer for Instinct Magazine who lives and breathes all things pop culture and LGBTQ+. She loves exploring the stories that make the community shine, from the latest celebrity buzz to he...

All Articles by Isabella I.

Published Feb 9, 2026

Let’s be honest: yes, we watched this Super Bowl halftime show on purpose. And we’d do it again. And again. And again.

Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny just came off a historic high—winning Album of the Year at the Grammys for his Spanish-language masterpiece DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS—and somehow still managed to raise the bar even higher by delivering a Super Bowl LX Halftime Show that felt personal, joyful, emotional, and deeply human.

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This wasn’t his first time on the Super Bowl stage. He previously popped out during Jennifer Lopez and Shakira’s 2020 halftime show to perform I Like It (his collab with Cardi B). But this time? This time, it was his world—and the NFL was just living in it.

So let’s get into it. Here are our favorite moments from Bad Bunny’s unforgettable halftime performance at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

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RELATED: Bad Bunny Puts Bulge, Hips, Buns, It All on Display for Calvin Klein

1. The Entire Show Was in Spanish—and That Was the Point

Yes. The entire halftime show was performed in Spanish. No translations. No apologies. Even the jumbotron stayed loyal.

If you’re wondering why certain corners of the internet seemed… stressed? That’s exactly why this moment mattered. Music doesn’t need to be in English to be understood. The joy, heartbreak, pride, and power came through loud and clear—and honestly, the show was more beautiful because of it.

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2. The Setlist Was a Greatest-Hits Victory Lap

Bad Bunny ran through an electrifying lineup: Safaera, Party, Voy a Llevarte a PR, EoO, Baile Inolvidable, Nuevayol, El Apagón, and Café con Ron. Then came the grand finale—DtMf, fireworks blazing, stadium shaking, emotions very much unlocked.

 

 

At the end, he shouted out every country in Latin America and even dropped a heartfelt “God bless America!”—a reminder that patriotism doesn’t have one language, one look, or one sound.

 

 

3. That Jersey? That Name? That Moment?

Bad Bunny walked out wearing a #64 jersey with “OCASIO” on the back—his real name. Not Bad Bunny. Not Benito. His family name. According to Complex, the number is a tribute to Bad Bunny’s late uncle who used to play football with the #64 on his jersey.

 

 

Then he grabbed the mic and said (in Spanish):

“My name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio. And if today I’m here at the Super Bowl, it’s because I never, never stopped believing in myself.”

Chills. Full-body chills.

4. The Outfit Was Fashion With a Message

According to Vogue, his look was intentionally designed by Zara and styled by longtime collaborators Marvin Douglas Linares and Storm Pablo. The jersey wasn’t just sporty—it was symbolic. Identity, legacy, and pride stitched right in.

Fashion nerds noticed. Culture nerds noticed. Everyone else just knew it hit.

5. The Walking Bushes (Yes, Really)

Super Bowl halftime shows are famously strict for their time limits, which makes every logistical decision count. The performers disguised as moving greenery? Genius.

They weren’t just visually stunning; they allowed seamless transitions and movement while building this surreal, telenovela-meets-fairytale vibe. It was theatrical, practical, and weird in the best way.

@barstoolsports

The Bushes during Bad Bunny’s halftime show were people 😦(🎥:@Ludwig) #superbowl #nfl #badbunny

♬ original sound – Barstool Sports

6. A Telenovela, a Sugar Cane Field, and Pure Soul

The show opened with field workers in a sugar cane field– said to pay homage to the country’s history of sugar and cane farms– grounding the spectacle in labor, history, and heritage. It felt like watching a full-blown telenovela wrapped in a warm blanket—dramatic, emotional, and deeply cultural.

Bad Bunny didn’t just perform. He told a story.

 

7. The Nail Salon Moment Wasn’t Random

There was a nail salon scene—and longtime fans immediately clocked the reference. In 2018, Bad Bunny spoke out after a salon in Spain refused to serve him because he was a man, sparking homophobic backlash and public fixation on his sexuality.

This moment felt like reclamation. Visibility. Quiet resistance.

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8. Ricky Martin, Lady Gaga, and One Emotional Reunion

Special guests? Oh, he brought them.

Lady Gaga stunned with an upbeat, reggaeton-styled take on Die With a Smile.

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Ricky Martin, visibly emotional, performed Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii, and honestly? We felt every second of it.

Midway through the show, Bad Bunny pulled us into a Super Bowl–scale version of his “La Casita” universe, turning the halftime stage into an intimate, communal moment that doubled as a full-blown celebrity roll call.

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Pedro Pascal—yes, that Pedro Pascal—appeared, dancing effortlessly and instantly recognizable. He was joined by familiar faces like Jessica Alba, Cardi B, Karol G, Young Miko, and Alix Earle, all woven naturally into the performance.

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Cardi B and Jessica Alba

The energy was reverent, celebratory, and generational.

 

9. Yes, That Was a Real Wedding

That couple getting married mid-show? Totally real. Bad Bunny’s team confirmed they had asked him to appear at their wedding—so he flipped the script and married them during the Super Bowl halftime show instead.

Iconic doesn’t even cover it.

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10. Gay Rights Were… Grinding

Two male dancers grinding on national television? During the Super Bowl? We rest our case. Representation matters. Joy matters. And yes—gay rights.

 

 

11. From the Grammys to the Field: Passing the Torch

That moment with the little boy receiving Bad Bunny’s Grammy? The child actor Lincoln Fox later posted, “I’ll remember this day forever.”

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This scene may have been a message of how far Bad Bunny has come from dreaming as a young child to finally living out his dreams. 

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Bad Bunny has been increasingly vocal about LGBTQ rights and immigrant rights—especially after declaring at the Grammys:

“ICE out… We are humans, and we are Americans.”

This halftime show carried that same spirit.

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12. “Together, We Are America”

He ended the night holding up a football that read: “Together, we are America,” and with a sign that read, “THE ONLY THING MORE POWERFUL THAN HATE IS LOVE.”

 

As if to underline the point, this performance became the most-watched Super Bowl Halftime Show in history, pulling in over 135.4 million viewers.

BAD BUNNY

Fun. Emotional. Political. Cultural. Human.

 

 

If there’s one word to describe Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show, it’s UNFORGETTABLE.

Now excuse us while we replay it approximately a bajillion times.

3 thoughts on “Blink-and-You-Miss-It Moments From Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Takeover”

  3. Agent Orange called it, “An affront to the greatness of America.”

    Given the territory is so problematic for him – they never did thank him for tossing out rolls of paper towels after Hurricane Maria – maybe Greenland should offer to buy it. Given the context of this year for America, might I suggest for $250?

    And, incidentally, it was the only part of the Super Bowl I watched. While my Espanol is muy poco, I did enjoy the intent, energy and Easter eggs throughout – as noted above. Nice too to see an American citizen actually able to rightfully celebrate their part of the country.

    Reply

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