Bad Bunny says he’s approaching the Super Bowl halftime show with excitement, gratitude and a clear sense of purpose. Speaking in English at an Apple Music press event, he walked on to his 2017 hit “Chambea” and admitted mixed feelings: still on tour, fresh from the Grammys and trying to take it all in. “To be honest, I don’t know how I’m feeling. There’s a lot,” he said.
He emphasized that his biggest excitement is for the people watching — family, friends and fans — and for the culture the performance will showcase. “This moment, the culture — that’s what makes these shows special,” he said, adding that viewers don’t need to know Spanish to enjoy the performance but should be ready to dance, referencing his recent “Saturday Night Live” monologue.
The Puerto Rican superstar, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, will headline the halftime show one week after winning album of the year at the 2026 Grammys for Debí Tirar Más Fotos — the first all Spanish-language album to receive that award. Bad Bunny said the album and the recognition came from reconnecting with identity, history and roots, not from chasing trophies. “I wasn’t looking for album of the year. I wasn’t looking to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show,” he said. “I was just trying to connect with my roots, connect with my people, connect with myself.”
Apple Music hosts Zane Lowe and Ebro Darden led the conversation, which followed interviews with pregame performers. The pressroom was packed well before the event, including many Spanish-language and Latin American outlets — a contrast the host noted with Kendrick Lamar’s 2025 news conference, which filled only about 15 minutes before it began.
Bad Bunny kept specifics about the halftime set under wraps. “It’s going to be a huge party,” he said. “What people can expect from me … I want to bring to the stage, of course, a lot of my culture. But I really don’t, I don’t want to give any spoilers. It’s going to be fun.” He also declined to confirm any surprise guests, though he acknowledged that friends, family and the global Latino community will be watching closely.
In a Q&A with student journalists he singled out his mother as a foundational supporter. “Before everything, she believed in me as a person, as a human. She believed in me, in my decisions, in my opinions,” he said, crediting that belief with helping him get where he is today.
The Super Bowl will be held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, with the Seattle Seahawks facing the New England Patriots. Pregame performers include Charlie Puth singing the national anthem, Brandi Carlile performing “America the Beautiful” and Coco Jones singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Puth said he hopes to inspire viewers, while Jones called the opportunity “the bee’s knees.” Green Day will play a pregame set to mark the Super Bowl’s 60th anniversary.
Organizers have also prioritized access: the national anthem and “Lift Every Voice and Sing” will be presented in American Sign Language by deaf performing artist Fred Beam, and Julian Ortiz will sign “America the Beautiful.” For the halftime show, a multilingual signing program will include Puerto Rican Sign Language led by interpreter Celimar Rivera Cosme, who interpreted Bad Bunny’s recent Puerto Rico residency. All signed performances for the pregame and halftime programs are in collaboration with Alexis Kashar of LOVE SIGN and Deaf Equality’s Howard Rosenblum.
Between the Grammys win and the Super Bowl spotlight, Bad Bunny says he plans to use the platform to share his culture and energy. “I want to bring to the stage, of course, a lot of my culture,” he reiterated — and he promised one thing for certain: a party.