Bad Bunny Super Bowl halftime show highlights Puerto Rican culture on global stage

Bad Bunny used his Super Bowl LX halftime show to centre Puerto Rican culture through music, imagery and guests

Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX halftime show placed Puerto Rican culture at the centre of one of the world’s largest entertainment stages, drawing attention to Boricua identity through music, symbolism and guest appearances.

The 13-minute performance at Levi’s Stadium followed the themes explored on his Grammy Award-winning album Debí Tirar Más Fotos, which uses visual and lyrical references such as the pava hat, plastic chairs and plantain trees to reflect life in Puerto Rico.

Those elements were carried into the halftime set, which included 14 songs spanning his recent work and earlier hits including “Titi me preguntó”, “Safaera” and “Yo Perreo Sola”.

The show opened with “Titi me preguntó” as cameras focused on a staged “casita”, inspired by the Puerto Rican marquesina. Celebrities including Pedro Pascal, Karol G, Cardi B, Young Miko and Jessica Alba appeared inside the set, reflecting a familiar social space within Puerto Rican communities.

Further cultural references followed, including a surprise appearance by Ricky Martin, who performed “Lo Que Le Pasó A Hawaii” while seated on the plastic chairs featured on Debí Tirar Más Fotos.

The song addresses themes of colonisation and cultural loss, which some viewers linked to current discussions about Puerto Rico’s identity.

Lady Gaga also appeared, performing a salsa version of “Die With a Smile”. She had previously said of Bad Bunny, “He knows who he is, and that’s the only thing that matters when you step onto that stage.”

One of the most discussed moments featured a child watching Bad Bunny on a television set before the artist handed him a Grammy onstage. Some fans interpreted the scene as symbolic, though no explanation was provided during the broadcast.

The performance ended with Bad Bunny naming countries across the Americas and emphasising unity. President Donald Trump criticised the show on Truth Social, calling it “absolutely terrible”. In contrast, many Latino viewers described the moment online as meaningful representation on a global platform.