PUERTO RICAN SUPERSTAR Bad Bunny angered US President Donald Trump with his halftime Super Bowl show, which emphasised unity over division.

Last night’s Super Bowl saw the Seattle Seahawks coast to glory, routing the New England Patriots 29-13 as Sam Darnold sealed his journey from flop quarterback to conqueror of the NFL’s biggest prize.

Anticipation was high for Bad Bunny’s halftime show, after he called out Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown at the Grammy’s and said “ICE out” while accepting his award.

However, the 31-year-old avoided overt political statements in favour of subtle messaging through symbols in last night’s show.

Bad Bunny, also known as Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, celebrated Puerto Rican culture in last night’s show – the first Super Bowl performance ever entirely in Spanish. 

At the end of his set, after listing Latin American countries, Puerto Rico, the United States and Canada, Bad Bunny spiked a football that said “Together, we are America.”

A giant screen in the stadium read: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.”

Trump described the show as “an affront to the Greatness of America” and called the show a “‘slap in the face’ to our country”.

“Nobody understands a word this guy is saying” he said in a post on his Truth Social account. 

During his historic performance at the Super Bowl LX, Bad Bunny shouts out all the countries in America. pic.twitter.com/COmVMnYOFJ

— New York Magazine (@NYMag) February 9, 2026

The decision for Bad Bunny to perform at the Super Bowl in California was met with conservative outrage – specifically about the idea that he would not sing in English.

The NFL entered into an agreement in 2019 with Jay-Z’s entertainment company Roc Nation, which leads the league’s entertainment strategy.

Since that time, the list of Super Bowl headliners included Jennifer Lopez and Shakira (with a guest spot for Bad Bunny), but the duo did not perform exclusively in Spanish, leaving Bad Bunny to set that benchmark.

An alternative halftime show was aired on YouTube by conservative political group Turning Point USA, cofounded by the late Charlie Kirk. 

Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett all performed on the YouTube livestream which garnered 5 million views.

The official viewership for this year’s Super Bowl has not yet been released, but it is expected to have attracted over 125 million viewers – making it one of the most-watch live broadcasts globally.

Bad Bunny performs during the Apple Music halftime show at Super Bowl LX between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, Levi Stadium, Santa Clara, California. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Cultural celebration

The halftime show featured a sugar cane plantation, a traditional “piragua” cart selling treats, and even a wedding.

Bad Bunny opened with Titi Me Pregunto and feminist anthem Yo Perreo Sola.

Actors Pedro Pascal and Jessica Alba, and rapper Cardi B were among the guest stars in his familiar “La Casita” backdrop, representing a home in Puerto Rico.

The artist delved into more political territory with El Apagon (Blackout), which touches on the displacement of Puerto Ricans on their own island, and the constant problems caused by the unreliable power grid. He carried a Puerto Rican flag at one point.

The performance also included a young boy watching the Grammys on an old television set. Bad Bunny, who won the Album of the Year prize a week ago, presented the child – perhaps a younger version of himself – with a golden gramophone.

The internet went wild with unverified rumors that the child was Liam Conejo Ramos, a five-year-old Ecuadoran boy recently detained by US immigration agents in Minnesota.

An NFL spokesman confirmed to AFP that the boy was an actor, and an Instagram post seemingly from the child in question, Lincoln Fox, was hashtagged #youngbadbunny.

Surprise musical guests included Lady Gaga, who sang Die with a Smile – and Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin.

Bad Bunny has been Spotify’s most-streamed artist in the world four separate times, including last year, and won Album of the Year at the Grammys with Debi Tirar Mas Fotos – the first Spanish-language work to win music’s highest accolade.

With reporting from AFP