Many viewers logged on to say the Super Bowl 60 halftime show was terrible, even as critics called it historic. Bad Bunny headlined Super Bowl LX on February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
He performed almost entirely in Spanish, and that choice split the audience fast.
We found the divide fell cleanly along political lines.
Key Takeaways
- The Bad Bunny halftime show drew praise from AP News but heavy halftime show criticism from conservatives.
- Bad Bunny sang in Spanish, sparking backlash from Trump and Assistant AG Harmeet Dhillon.
- Guest stars Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin joined the Apple Music halftime show.
This will go down as THE WORST halftime show in Super Bowl history. I expected it to be bad, but didn’t anticipate that it could be THIS bad. Roger Goodell should be ashamed.
Catering to a tiny subset of your customer base is bad business. pic.twitter.com/itvAM587tM
— James Page 🇺🇸 (@DCin801) February 9, 202676 Year Old Angler Large Bass Stuns Texas
What Happened on the Field?
We pulled the core facts from coverage by AP News. The set ran about 13 minutes and featured Puerto Rican culture front and center.
Bad Bunny closed with a message reading “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.”
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Headliner | Bad Bunny |
| Date | February 8, 2026 |
| Venue | Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA |
| Sponsor | Apple Music |
| Run time | ~13 minutes |
| Guests | Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin |
Who Performed and When?
We mapped the full Super Bowl LX performance schedule for context.
The pregame lineup stacked several big names before kickoff, per Billboard.
| Time (ET) | Performer | Segment |
|---|---|---|
| 3:50 p.m. | Teddy Swims | Tailgate |
| 6:00 p.m. | Green Day | Opening Ceremony |
| 6:00 p.m. | Coco Jones | “Lift Every Voice and Sing” |
| 6:00 p.m. | Brandi Carlile | “America the Beautiful” |
| 6:00 p.m. | Charlie Puth | National Anthem |
| Halftime | Bad Bunny | NFL halftime show 2026 |
Good morning everyone!✌️🇺🇲
The Woke NFL took a massive double L in Super Bowl 60!
The game with no stars was terrible and the halftime show was the worst in NFL history. This after the NFL spent $40 million on it!😆
Roger Goodell owns it and should be fired by all 32 owners!
— Mike Engleman🇺🇲 (@RealHickory) February 9, 2026NPH Amy Winehouse Cake Controversy Explained
Why Did Critics React So Strongly?
The biggest flashpoint was language. Bad Bunny sang in Spanish, and only Lady Gaga sang in English.
That fueled sharp halftime show reactions from political figures, as Fox News reported.
Our analysis suggests the language choice, not the music, drove most complaints.
- Trump voiced fury over the all-Spanish set.
- Assistant AG Harmeet Dhillon publicly criticized the performance.
- Conservative commentators called the show too political and too sexualized.
How Did Fans Compare to Critics?
We sorted the loudest halftime show criticism against fan praise.
The split shows two very different views of the same 13 minutes.
| Critics Said | Fans Said |
|---|---|
| Too political | A love letter to Puerto Rico |
| All Spanish alienated viewers | Global star, global language |
| Too sexualized for families | Bold cultural celebration |
| “Terrible” and divisive | “Historic” and moving |
What Does the Data Tell Us?
We tracked the show’s reach against its controversy. The Apple Music halftime show reached a massive audience even as debate raged online.
| Measure | Detail |
|---|---|
| Language | Spanish (Gaga sang in English) |
| Album backing | “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” 2026 Grammy AOTY |
| Political note | Bad Bunny skipped continental U.S. tour |
| Closing message | “Love over hate” video board |
What Does This Mean for the NFL?
We see one clear takeaway from the Super Bowl LX debate.
One of the worst half-time shows I've seen at a Superbowl and the artist didn't even go for any cheap political points for applause. It was just pure dogshit on its own merits.
— Richard Lewis (@RLewisReports) February 9, 2026A halftime show can be both celebrated and condemned at once.
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The Bad Bunny halftime show earned critical acclaim while igniting political backlash.
- The performance honored Puerto Rican identity and history.
- The Spanish-only set became the lightning rod for critics.
- The NFL now faces louder questions about cultural and political content.
We stand by one conclusion: this show split America as much as it entertained it.
You can expect this debate to shape future NFL halftime show 2026 booking decisions.