UMD Latinx Students Celebrate Bad Bunny’s Upcoming Super Bowl Halftime Show as a Cultural Triumph
Latinx students at the University of Maryland expressed excitement about Puerto Rican music star Bad Bunny performing at the upcoming NFL Super Bowl Halftime Show in February.
On Sept. 28, the NFL, along with Apple Music and Roc Nation, announced that Bad Bunny, the stage name of Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, will perform during the LX Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Feb. 8, 2026.
“What I’m feeling goes beyond myself,” Bad Bunny said in the NFL statement. “It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown… this is for my people, my culture, and our history. Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el HALFTIME SHOW DEL SUPER BOWL.”
Translation: (“Go and tell your grandma, we’re going to be the Super Bowl halftime show.”)
Ashley Neyra, a junior journalism major, says that she and her Latino friends are excited to have Bad Bunny perform.
“He’s one of the biggest artists in the world at the moment,” said Neyra. “I think [Bad Bunny performing] is extremely deserved.”
In 2024, Spotify announced Bad Bunny as the most-streamed Latin artist worldwide. In the same announcement, the streaming platform further revealed that Bad Bunny was ranked number three for most-streamed artist on the platform. Taylor Swift and The Weekend preceded him.
The Super Bowl halftime show is the most-watched performance in America, averaging a viewership of more than 133 million people last year, according to the NFL. Halftime performances draw significant viewership worldwide, often independently of the actual football game.
In previous years, music artists such as The Weeknd, Usher, and, most recently, Kendrick Lamar have performed at the Super Bowl.
Paulina Calderon, a junior psychology major, finds herself, her friends and her family excited for the performance.
“From the conversations I’ve had with friends and family members of Hispanic descent, we’re all genuinely excited about this news,” said Calderon. “You won’t find many Latinos who don’t like Bad Bunny, at least among Gen Z Latinos. He’s pretty universally loved in our community.”
Conservative social media influencers have already expressed disinterest in Bad Bunny performing for the halftime show, some predicting its failure.
“Enjoy the show, America. Just don’t ask for subtitles,” said Mario Nawfal, a political commentator, who criticized the NFL on the social media platform X, for picking a performer who does not have any songs in English.
Other conservative influencers criticized Bad Bunny’s recent political views and actions. On his world tour, he decided to skip the United States in fear of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raiding his concerts.
Benny Johnson, a prominent conservative YouTuber, criticized Bad Bunny on X, claiming him to be a Trump-hater and an anti-ICE activist. “The NFL is self-destructing year after year,” Johnson wrote.
Amid the critics, Calderon still believes Bad Bunny’s performance is a triumph for Latinx people, saying, “It honestly feels like a win for Latinos, especially for those of us in the U.S., since we’ve been so heavily targeted by the current President and his administration.”