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The sun hung low when Bad Bunny<\/a> emerged in Puerto Rico’s sugar cane fields during his half time show, surrounded by jibaros in pavas (rural farmers in traditional straw hats), viejitos playing dominos (an affectionate term for older men) and a piragua stand (shaved ice) \u2014 undeniable symbols of Puerto Rico.<\/p>\n From a small Caribbean island with a complicated colonial history, to the world: The artist born Benito Antonio Mart\u00ednez Ocasio brought Puerto Rican culture to the Levi\u2019s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, for his 2026 Super Bowl<\/a> halftime show in what was always going to be a landmark moment for Latinos.<\/a><\/p>\n He started with his huge reggaeton hits, \u201cTit\u00ed Me Pregunt\u00f3” moving into \u201cYo Perreo Sola,\u201d as he remerged on top of the casita (“little house”) from his Puerto Rican residency \u2014 Cardi B was a guest at his pari de marquesina, a house party. <\/p>\n Then he crashed through the roof \u2014 Daddy Yankee’s \u201cGasolina\u201d played for a moment, clearly a celebration of the Puerto Rican artists who laid the path for his Latin trap to go global.<\/p>\n \u201cMi nombre Antonio Mart\u00ednez Ocasio,\u201d he introduced himself to the crowd in Spanish. \u201cY si hoy estoy aqu\u00ed en el Super Bowl 60, es porque nunca, nunca dej\u00e9 de creer en m\u00ed y t\u00fa tambi\u00e9n deber\u00edas de creer en ti, vales m\u00e1s de lo que piensas.\u201d<\/p>\n In English: \u201cMy name is Benito Antonio Mart\u00ednez Ocasio, and if I\u2019m here today at Super Bowl 60 it\u2019s because I never, ever stopped believing in myself and you should also believe in yourself, you\u2019re worth more than you think.”<\/p>\n The strings of his song \u201cMonaco\u201d played \u2014 then, a surprise Lady Gaga emerged at a wedding, singing her portion of \u201cDie with a Smile,\u201d her collaboration with Bruno Mars, joined by a salsa band.<\/p>\n It gave Benito time for a fashion change \u2014 rocking a white suit like a classic salsero \u2014 for \u201cBaile Inolvidable” and \u201cNuevaYol,” with a block party set where he took a shot with Tonita, owner of one of the last Puerto Rican social clubs in New York City, Brooklyn’s Caribbean Social Club.<\/p>\n Ricky Martin performed \u201cLo Que Pas\u00f3 a Hawaii,\u201d (\u201cWhat Happened to Hawaii\u201d), a rallying cry for Puerto Rico\u2019s autonomy. <\/p>\n Behind him, jibaros in pavas climbed power poles that exploded, symbolic of Puerto Rico’s frequent blackouts and failing power grid. It queued up a moving performance of 2022\u2019s \u201cEl Apag\u00f3n\u201d (\u201cThe Blackout\u201d), in reference to Hurricane Maria,<\/a> its aftermath and the continued anger and frustration over persistent, chronic power outages<\/a>.<\/p>\n For around 13 minutes during the halftime show sponsored by Apple Music and Roc Nation, all eyes on the field \u2014 and around the world \u2014 were on Benito Antonio Mart\u00ednez Ocasio. <\/p>\n Bad Bunny performed entirely in Spanish \u2014 as all of his music is recorded in the language, though he has collaborated with English-language artists. The only English singing came from Gaga. That changed at the end of the set, when he said, \u201cGod Bless America,\u201d and then named countries in the Caribbean, Central and South America. \u201cAnd my mother land, Puerto Rico.\u201d<\/p>\n He ended with \u201cDtMF\u201d as he walked out of the stadium.<\/p>\n For years, Bad Bunny has been one of the most-streamed artists on the planet.<\/a> And on Sunday, he made it clear that his global popularity translates seamlessly to the biggest stage in the U.S. (Though he is no stranger to it. He previously appeared during the halftime show at Super Bowl LIV in 2020 alongside Jennifer Lopez<\/a> and Shakira.<\/a> He sang in Spanish alongside two artists whose bilingual hits helped usher in a crossover era for Latin music in the \u201900s.)<\/p>\n Consider Bad Bunny’s 2026 halftime performance the cherry on top of a huge moment for the 31-year-old global superstar, who just 10 years ago was working at an Econo supermarket in Puerto Rico.<\/p>\n Last week, he took home album of the year<\/a> at the 2026 Grammys for his \u201cDeb\u00ed Tirar M\u00e1s Fotos,\u201d<\/a> an album that marries folkloric tradition in local Borinquen genres like bomba, plena, salsa and m\u00fasica j\u00edbara with contemporary styles like reggaeton, trap and pop. It marked the first time an all-Spanish language album won the top prize.<\/p>\n Like most headliners, Bad Bunny kept details of his halftime performance under wraps ahead of time, though many theorized<\/a> there would be some kind of political performance. He’s been critical of President Donald Trump in the past and at the Grammys last Sunday, said \u201cICE out\u201d<\/a> while accepting a televised award. Bad Bunny’s latest tour skipped the continental U.S.; in an interview he said it was at least partially inspired by concerns that his fans could be targeted by immigration agents.<\/p>\n At a press conference on Thursday,<\/a> Bad Bunny told Apple Music\u2019s Zane Lowe and Ebro Darden viewers could expect a huge party \u2014 and joked that while viewers didn’t need to learn Spanish<\/a> to enjoy his set; they should learn to dance. <\/p>\n \u201cI want to bring to the stage, of course, a lot of my culture,\u201d he said at the time. “I don\u2019t want to give any spoilers. It\u2019s going to be fun.\u201d<\/p>\n Of course, he delivered on just that.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n