Bad Bunny turns the Half Time Show into something much bigger than a show, bringing on the stage flags, Latin culture, and reminding the world that America is a continent, not a border.
By Sofia Lima
Photo: Kindell Buchanan/ Getty Images
On Sunday, February 8, during the Super Bowl 2026 between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots, a game that ended with Seattle’s victory, it almost felt as though the football itself had become secondary. More than the game, what captured the attention of America and the rest of the world was a presence that many, in the Republican circles especially, had been fearing for weeks: that of Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, known by his stage name, Bad Bunny. The artist transformed the Super Bowl Half Time Show into something far greater than a musical performance. He turned it into a statement of identity, belonging and resistance.
Not just the United States: what “America” really means
There’s someone who doesn’t know it yet, or pretends not to know it, but Bad Bunny is American. He was born in Puerto Rico, which, whether people like it or not, is part of the United States.
And perhaps that’s exactly where the problem lies: for many, “America” remains synonymous of a white, English-speaking United States. But America is, in fact, a continent. A vast collection of countries, languages, cultures and histories that are profoundly different from one another.
And Bad Bunny reminded everyone of that reality. All the flags of the American continent appeared on the stage of the Half Time Show of the Super Bowl: South America, Central America, and North America. Not as a mere provocation, but to deliver a simple yet powerful message: this, too, is America.
Bad Bunny has literally brought Latin America onto the world’s most viewed stage. The event of the Super Bowl was watched by roughly 100 million viewers. Sugarcane fields, traditional dances, colours, neighborhood celebrations, food and family filled the performance. Scenes that speak to those who live that culture every day; pop-up food stands, noisy celebrations, the kid asleep on the two chairs pushed together during a wedding. Details that many will never understand, but that for others mean home.
It’s no coincidence that the words “Together we are America” appeared on the ball of the Super Bowl. A sentence that, read in the context of the show, takes on a far more political meaning than it might first seem.
Trump’s criticism and the fear of diversity
Obviously, U.S. President Donald Trump weighed in, saying he was disgusted by the performance and defining it “one of the worst halftime shows ever” and “an insult to America’s greatness”.
Paradoxically, that show itself may have been the most effective response to his words. Because it reminded those blinded by ignorance that America is not only what Trump wants to portray. It’s also the America represented by the flags on that stage, by multiple languages, and by cultures that existed long before borders were drawn by colonialism.
Bad Bunny on the stage of the 2026 SuperBowl Half Time
A show that also speaks of politics
It’s no coincidence that all of this happens in a time of strong tension in the United States. ICE operations, deportations, the deaths of two Americans at the hands of the agents, and the violence and protests against Trump’s government serve as a backdrop for a show that speaks about humanity.
Just a few days before the Half Time Show, Bad Bunny used a moment at the 2026 Grammy Awards to deliver a direct political message. While accepting the award for the Album of the Year, he opened his speech by saying “ICE out”, calling for an end to the immigration agency’s operations before adding:
“We’re not savages, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans, and we are Americans.”
He received a standing ovation before even thanking God or speaking about the album itself, remarking that human dignity is not negotiable, and that America is far bigger and far more diverse than some would have people believe. And this political message kept resonating during the Super Bowl through another sentence displayed during the show:
“The only thing more powerful than hate is love.”
Being Latino means resisting
As many people have written on social media in recent days, being Latino means loving, remembering, and resisting. It means carrying the pain of your ancestors while continuing to dance. It means living despite systemic discrimination and, despite everything, choosing joy.
Latinos are Americans, these are Indigenous lands, their ancestors have never left. This is their America. And while colonialism keeps trying to erase culture and identities, Bad Bunny spent 13 minutes doing a simple but powerful thing: he reminded America that they are still here, and that this has always been their home.