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Bad Bunny to Headline 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show
By Owen Metcalf
The NFL has chosen reggaetón superstar Bad Bunny to headline the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show. The show is set to take place at Levi’s Stadium, home stadium of the San Francisco 49ers, on February 8th, 2026. The decision was announced during halftime of the Dallas Cowboys v. Green Bay Packers Sunday Night Football game on September 28.
The decision was made in partnership with Apple Music and Roc Nation. The Puerto Rican rapper, known for hits like “MONACO” and “Tití Me Pregunto”, will be the first solo Spanish-language headliner in Super Bowl Halftime Show history. This also marks Bad Bunny’s first performance in the mainland United States in almost 3 years. He canceled U.S. dates on his 2025 “Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour” due to concerns over potential ICE raids at shows.
In a celebratory statement on X shortly after the announcement, Bad Bunny said, “What I'm feeling goes beyond myself. 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.” Jay-Z, rapper and founder of Roc Nation, praised Bad Bunny in a statement. He said, "What Benito has done and continues to do for Puerto Rico is truly inspiring. We are honored to have him on the world's biggest stage.” Oliver Schusser, Apple’s Vice President of Music, praised Bad Bunny’s representation of Latino culture, saying "The Halftime Show is the ultimate celebration of music and culture, and few artists embody that intersection more perfectly and authentically than Bad Bunny."
Bad Bunny previously made a guest appearance during the 2020 Super Bowl Halftime Show headlined by Jennifer Lopez and Shakira. Bad Bunny is also one of the most-streamed artists in the world, with his 2022 album Un Verano Sin Ti being the most-streamed album on Spotify as of October 2025. Un Verano Sin Ti is also the first entirely Spanish album to be nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammys. Bad Bunny has also used his platform for activism, speaking out against President Donald Trump and for LGBTQ+ rights.
Reactions to this decision are mixed. Many prominent figures, such as Jay-Z, Jennifer Lopez, and Bruno Mars, have celebrated the decision. Jennifer Lopez said in an Instagram story, "Now it's your turn !!!!!” Bruno Mars made a post on X celebrating Bad Bunny, saying, “Go get em Bad Bunny!”
However, there has also been criticism of this decision, largely by those in the MAGA movement. When asked about the choice in an interview, President Donald Trump said, “I don’t know who he is. I don’t know why they’re doing it — it’s, like, crazy.” House Speaker Mike Johnson also criticized the NFL’s decision, saying, "It sounds like he's not someone who appeals to a broader audience, and I think there are so many eyes on the Super Bowl. A lot of young impressionable children, and I think, in my view, you would have Lee Greenwood − role models doing that. Not somebody like this."
The NFL in recent years has pushed to appeal to global audiences, launching the Global Market Program in 2022. The program gives teams international marketing rights. The league, since 2007, has also played regular-season games outside of the United States. There are 7 slated international games across Brazil, Germany, Ireland, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
APS DEI Faces Backlash from Federal Government
APS DEI Faces Backlash from Federal Government
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, DEI. Take a quick second just to think about what that means to you. Think about how your background and experiences have likely influenced your thoughts about this, and how that has built your views.
These programs were mandated by President Lyndon B. Johnson’s executive order 11246 in 1965 which directed that government employers hire without regard to race or color, and ensure the fair treatment of employees.
This program has gone through changes since then, most importantly, it expanded beyond the government and to private employers. The programs have also been expanded with the Americans with Disabilities Act, “that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in everyday activities (ADA.gov).”
Akron Public Schools (APS) established many DEI programs in the late 2010s into the 2020s, which were in response to district concerns about student opportunities and resources. In June of 2020, APS was the first school district in the US to designate racism as a public health crisis, paving the way for a national model, which solidified that “There is absolutely no excellence without access, without diversity, equity and inclusion” (akron.com). This was bolstered by a vast and arching DEI program which has supported students, staff, and policy making in the local district.
However, these programs are now facing backlash from the new Trump Administration which has taken numerous actions against DEI programs. For APS, this was mostly from the ‘Dear Colleague’ letter which directed educational facilities to end any consideration of race or proxy for race (ie, socioeconomics, zip code, etc) by February 19th or risk losing federal funding.
This has prompted an immediate response from the district. Soon after the letter, the APS Superintendent Michael Robinson asked the school board to end all DEI programs and eliminate the DEI committee from the board bylaws during the February 17th meeting without the motion going through the committee.
The board then requested that the motion to end those policies and bylaws be moved through committee to go through a policy review, which put the district over the February 19th compliance deadline. No action has been taken by the federal government to enforce the deadline or penalise the district for noncompliance.
This action is unique to APS, which has a board that finds value within the program. Board member Barbara Sykes has been the most vocal about the need for the department and programs, which she suggested could just be renamed to comply. Currently, the board is doing something ”that remains unique to Akron… [and] are readjusting the paradigm of how we're viewing this work” (Rene Molenaur).
This work is still being done and updates will be given as they are available.
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