Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican musical sensation born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is poised to deliver a landmark halftime performance at the Super Bowl, which will be held on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. His appearance stands out as it will be conducted entirely in Spanish, placing Latin culture front and center at the most watched television event in the United States.
On Thursday morning, in San Francisco, the Grammy Award-winning artist is expected to provide additional insights regarding his Super Bowl performance during a scheduled press conference. This moment follows shortly after his album Debí Tirar Más Fotos garnered the prestigious Album of the Year accolade at the 2026 Grammy Awards, notably the first time this top honor was awarded to a fully Spanish-language album. Bad Bunny's global popularity is underscored by his status as one of the most-streamed performers worldwide.
Moderated by Apple Music personalities Zane Lowe and Ebro Darden, the press event commenced at 10 a.m. Pacific time, initially featuring interviews with other pregame performers. The conference drew crowds well before its official start, with many credentialed members of the media, particularly from Spanish-language and Latin American outlets, filling the room nearly an hour early. This turnout signifies a marked contrast to previous years; for instance, the 2025 press conference for Kendrick Lamar saw the room fill only 15 minutes prior to the event.
Details about the halftime performance remain under close guard, consistent with the tradition of artists keeping certain aspects secret until showtime. A prominent example occurred in 2023 when Rihanna disclosed her pregnancy during her Super Bowl performance.
Apart from Bad Bunny, the Super Bowl pregame will showcase an array of musical performances by notable Northern California artists. Charlie Puth will perform the national anthem, Brandi Carlile will sing “America the Beautiful,” and Coco Jones is scheduled to present “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Both Jones and Puth expressed their enthusiasm for participating in the event, highlighting its cultural significance and broad audience reach. In addition, deaf performing artist Fred Beam will convey the national anthem and “Lift Every Voice and Sing” in American Sign Language, with Julian Ortiz signing “America the Beautiful.”
Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Super Bowl, Bay Area band Green Day will deliver a live set before the game, with lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong encouraging fans to “Get loud!”
For the first time in Super Bowl history, the halftime show will incorporate a multilingual signing program, including Puerto Rican Sign Language. Celimar Rivera Cosme, who also interpreted Bad Bunny’s landmark residency in Puerto Rico the previous year, will lead this initiative. The signed performances during the pregame and halftime shows have been arranged in partnership with Alexis Kashar of LOVE SIGN and Howard Rosenblum of Deaf Equality.