Bad Bunny has been named as theheadliner of the 2026 Super Bowl half-time performance.
The NFL announced on Sunday that a 31-year-old Puerto Rican rapper will take the stage at the event, set to occur in Santa Clara, California, on February 8, 2026.
Bad Bunny, known in real life as Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, announced that he has secured the highly sought-after position in an Instagram video. The clip starts with a close-up of Martínez, then gradually pulls back to reveal him relaxed on a goalpost.
What I’m experiencing goes beyond my own being. It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown,” Martínez said in a statement. “This is for my people, my culture, and our history. Go tell your grandmother that we will be the HALFTIME SHOW OF THE SUPER BOWL.
Similar to last year’s main act, Grammy-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar, Martínez has been referred to by some as acontroversial choiceDue to his critiques of President Trump and U.S. immigration policies. It also won’t be the first time Martínez has taken the stage at the Super Bowl. In 2020, he performed alongside other Latin music icons and headliners Shakira and Jennifer Lopez during the halftime show.
Immediately following a two-month stay in Puerto Rico,I don’t want to leave here, Martínez is also scheduled to appear as the host ofSaturday Night Live’s Season 51 kicks off on October 4.
Here’s what you should be aware of regarding Bad Bunny.
He is a pioneer in Spanish-language hip hop.
Martínez is recognized for playing a key role in bringing Spanish-language rap into the mainstream. He started gaining attention as a rapper in 2016 with his track “Soy Peor,” and later appeared on Cardi B’s No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit, “I Like It,” in 2018. Martínez’s third solo album, released in 2020, was another significant milestone.The Last World Tour, created history as thefirst entirely-Spanish language album to reach the top of the Billboard 200 chart.
Martínez has kept promoting Spanish-language rap in the main stream.Un Verano Sin Ti, his fourth solo record, was thebestselling record of 2022and made history as the first Spanish-language album to be recognized for Album of the Year at the Grammys. (It was also the first release from a Latin artist to reach 10 billion streams on Spotify.) Martínez’s subsequent albums, 2023’sWhat Will Happen Tomorrowand 2025’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos,have both reached the No. 1 position on the Billboard 200 as well.
That Martínez mainly performs in Spanish is one of the reasons why certain conservative public figures arecriticizing the NFL’s decisionto have him perform as the headliner for the Super Bowl halftime show next year.
But the rapper-singer, who wasSpotify’s most-streamed artistfrom 2020 to 2022, remains unaffected by the negative comments.
“It’s just that I feel more at ease in my own language. … I think in Spanish, I feel in Spanish, I eat in Spanish, I sing in Spanish,” Martínezmentioned to Vanity Fair in 2023, before answering if he would ever perform in English, “I will never do it just because someone tells me I need to in order to reach a specific audience.”
He takes pride in his Puerto Rican background.
Martínez’s strong sense of Puerto Rican identity is evident. The “Alambre Púa” rapper was born in Bayamón and grew up in the northern region of Puerto Rico, specifically in Vega Baja. His latest LP,Debí Tirar Más Fotos, launched in January, is a tribute to his Puerto Rican background and the overall culture. He produced the album entirely on the island and worked only with local artists.
As he told Vogue in May, Debí Tirar Más Fotos“An album where you’ll long for a love and a place.” The album’s 14th track, “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii,” which touches on the colonial past of Hawaii, is Martínez’s method of alerting Puerto Ricans to the adverse effects of U.S. colonization—and the effort to protect their culture and heritage.
Martínez’s recently completed 31-show residency in Puerto Rico was yet another method he used to give back to the place he considers his hometown. Along with setting records in sales and attendance,I don’t want to leave heregenerated approximately $733 million for Puerto Rico, as reported bythe Associated Pressaccording to data from Gaither International.
I’ve always shared the same passion and love for what I do,” Martínez stated on stage during his show on September 20. “I promise I will never change. I love you, Puerto Rico. … No matter what your issue or problem is, love will always be the answer.
He’s an actor, too
When he’s not captivating the stage, Martínez is seen on both big and small screens. Over the past four years, the “NUEVAYoL” rapper has consistently been present in Hollywood, securing roles in major films such as 2021’sF9, 2022’s Bullet Train and 2023’s Cassandro, and even making appearances as himself at a few WWE events.
Martínez, who was also involved in a well-known relationshipwith model Kendall Jennerfor under a year, most recently showcased inHappy Gilmore 2 alongside Adam Sandler and Caught Stealing alongside Austin Butler.
“When I’m performing in the stadium, all eyes are on me. When you’re on a movie set, it’s much more intimate,” Martíneztold NBC’s Today showin August. “It’s similar to me and the actors. You are aware there is a camera, but occasionally you lose track of it. I believe that’s when you truly immerse yourself in the role and become part of the scene and the narrative.”
He’s politically outspoken
Martinez has consistently utilized his influence to bring attention to Puerto Rican individuals andexpress opposition to TrumpHe chose to leave the United States out of his upcoming “Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour” because of the continuous immigration raids and widespread deportations under the Trump administration.
The 57-concert tour, which solda new record of 2.6 million ticketsIn just one week, he will visit a number of countries, such as Sweden, Poland, Italy, and Japan. Martínez recently statedi-D magazine which he selectednot to come to the United States due to concerns that ICE might focus on his supporters.
There were numerous reasons I didn’t come to the U.S., and none of them came from a place of hatred — I’ve played there many times. All of [those performances] were successful. All of them were amazing,” he said. “Latinos and Puerto Ricans in the United States could also visit here [in Puerto Rico], or anywhere else in the world. But there was the issue of — like, f***ing ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it’s something we discussed and were very worried about.
