On September 28th, 2025, the NFL officially announced that Bad Bunny would be performing at the 2026 Super Bowl. Since then, the announcement has sparked a great deal of controversy. Many football fans are pleased with this decision, while others are not too fond of the idea.
Critics claim Bad Bunny should not perform because most of his songs are sung in Spanish, most of which are considered “explicit.” An alternative was suggested through a petition, in which his place would be taken by country artist George Strait. The petition already has over 10,000 signatures.
Bad Bunny has been outwardly against the Trump administration and open about his an allyship for people of the LGBTQIA+ community. He has also made his stance clear regarding ICE and has shown a tendency toward Democratic ideals.
President Trump has made a statement about his viewpoint. On News Max he stated, “I’ve never heard of [Bad Bunny], I don’t know who he is. I don’t know why they’re doing it. It’s like, crazy.” The news reporter Greg Kelly replied with: “A lot of folks don’t even know who he is.” It is important to note, however, that Bad Bunny is a 3 time Grammy winner with seven studio albums and was Spotify’s third most streamed artist globally in 2024.
Bad Bunny is currently on a global tour, but has said he is avoiding scheduling dates for North America because he fears ICE raids at his concerts. There is speculation of a similar event occurring at the Super Bowl. Kristy Noem, the Secretary of Homeland Security, states ICE will be “all over that place,” clearly targeting this event because of Bad Bunny’s largely Hispanic fanbase.
Many critics are quick to assume that Bad Bunny isn’t “American” enough to perform, including conservative news reporter Tomi Lahren, who stated in an interview that “[Bad Bunny] is not an American artist.” Clearly, Lahren is ignorant towards the fact that Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory and that everyone who is born in Puerto Rico is a U.S citizen. Is this just racism disguised as concern? Or does it come from a genuine place of inquiry? How should we have gone about the 2026 Super Bowl performers? And, is Bad Bunny the right fit? These are all questions to consider as we enter Super Bowl season.