Bad Bunny was mid-rep when he got the kind of phone call that changes careers and cements legacies—Jay-Z was on the line with news that the Puerto Rican superstar would headline the 2026 Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show.
“I was in the middle of a workout,” Bad Bunny told Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe and Ebro Darden. “I remember that after the call, I just did like a hundred pull-ups. I didn’t need more pre-workout s— or whatever. It was very special. was so special.”
The 31-year-old artist, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, will become the first performer to deliver a full Spanish-language set on one of the world’s most-watched stages.
The announcement video, shot on the beach in his hometown in Puerto Rico, was shared across social media by Apple Music, the NFL, Roc Nation and Bad Bunny just a day before the news broke.
“I’m really excited for my friends, my family. Puerto Rico, all the Latino people around the world. I’m excited about my culture. I’m excited about everything, not just for me. It feels really good. The beach where we record[ed the announcement] is my hometown beach. So it’s a very special thing for us,” he said.
This won’t be his first time on the Super Bowl stage. He previously made a surprise appearance during the 2020 halftime show, joining Shakira for a performance of “I Like It,” his chart-topping collaboration with Cardi B.
Jay-Z, whose Roc Nation has partnered with the NFL since 2019 to oversee live music entertainment, praised the artist’s influence and cultural impact.
“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,” Jay-Z said in a statement.
Bad Bunny’s halftime show will coincide with his Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour, which originally skipped U.S. cities due to concerns about ICE activity at concerts.
In an interview with i-D magazine, he said, “There were many reasons why I didn’t show up in the U.S., and none of them were out of hate — I’ve performed there many times.”
He later revealed plans to add a U.S. stop to the tour, which will now align with his Super Bowl appearance.
“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. Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el HALFTIME SHOW DEL SUPER BOWL,” he said.
Super Bowl LX will take place in the Bay Area on February 8, 2026, and will be broadcast on NBC and streamed on Peacock and NFL+.