Bad Bunny was highlighted as the star in the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show. Bad Bunny is a Puerto Rican rapper who performs mostly in Spanish. He is currently in the spotlight for using his fame and platform to stand up for minority communities, specifically families impacted by ICE. Going into the Super Bowl, I was hoping he would include some of that activism into his performance and he did not disappoint.

The show starts with 380 people dressed as a popular landscape you would see in Puerto Rico. More specifically, the sugar cane fields which you can see being harvested. This is symbolic due to the fact that sugar cane was vital yet exploited, so it’s a big part of Puerto Rico’s agricultural history. While he walks through the fields, you can see scenes of people living everyday life, for example men playing dominoes and a woman getting her nails done. Different dishes and drinks from Puerto Rican culture were also highlighted during this time. I think starting the show with those details not only helped educate but made the performance personable. 

Acclaimed pop singer Lady Gaga joined shortly after a wedding scene that included a couple getting married in real time. I find this significant because not only is Gaga known for being an influential person using her platform properly to advocate but she also used what she is most known for, her fashion, to highlight Puerto Rican culture. In an article from Vogue Magazine, reporter Margaux Anbouba interviews designer Raul Lopez and shared the color of blue they used for her dress is the same color in the earlier Puerto Rican flag that is associated with the independence movement. In the same article, Anbouba mentions the red flower worn near her heart is called the Flor de Maga and commonly symbolizes the resilience, pride, and cultural strength of Puerto Rico.

One of the most influential parts of the performance was when Bad Bunny read out countries in North, South, and Central America. This was important due to the idea that he was redefining America as not the 50 states but as two continents. In People magazine, the reporter addressed the speculation that he chose to do that due to the current political state of the world.

Overall this performance was not only entertaining to watch, and enjoyable to listen to, but was influential in many ways. The performance touched the hearts of many, 128.2 million to be exact, making it the well-deserved second most viewed halftime show of all time.