Next year, the Super Bowl halftime show is poised to bring Bay Area football aficionados and music lovers together. But for the first time, fans of all kinds will have two performances to choose from as politics takes center stage.
Bad Bunny, a Puerto Rican artist who’s become one of the most-streamed musicians worldwide, was recently selected for the Super Bowl 60 halftime show at Santa Clara’s Levi’s Stadium in February. But last week, right-wing nonprofit Turning Point USA announced it is slated to host the “All American Halftime Show” as a counter-performance celebrating “faith, family and freedom.”
The first-of-its-kind alternative halftime show is a direct response to the selection of Bad Bunny, who performs primarily in Spanish and has spoken against President Donald Trump’s policies, bringing national politics to Silicon Valley’s backyard.
Turning Point USA has yet to announce who will perform at its halftime show. Bad Bunny’s performance is a collaboration between the NFL, Jay-Z’s Roc Records and Apple Music. It will be Bad Bunny’s only date in the continental U.S. on his DeBí TiRAR MáS FOToS world tour, after the artist voiced concerns about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) taking people away at his shows.
Bad Bunny also shifted his touring strategy. The first nine nights of his 31-show Puerto Rico residency were reserved for island residents.
“There was the issue of — like, (expletive) ICE could be outside,” he told i-D magazine. He’s since taken his tour to Latin America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
But before Bad Bunny made the Super Bowl announcement, he said: “I’ve been thinking about it these days, and after discussing it with my team, I think I’ll do just one date in the United States.”
Bay Area Bad Bunny lovers, including Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley Executive Director Gabby Chavez-Lopez, are thrilled the NFL chose the three-time Grammy winner for the performance.
Chavez-Lopez was recently one of the thousands of fans to attend the musician’s sold-out residency tour dates in Puerto Rico. As a loyal fan since 2017, she said Bad Bunny’s music celebrates Latino culture and the Spanish language — something vital during divisive political times. She said Turning Point USA’s show is unfortunate, but she knows where most of the world will tune in.
“It’s just really nice to have some joy and levity and respite, reminders that our voices matter, our languages matter, our culture matters,” Chavez-Lopez told San José Spotlight. “I don’t think that anything is going to rain on our parade quite frankly.”
Turning Point USA has clubs on local college campuses across the Bay Area, including San Jose State and Santa Clara universities. The nonprofit was started in 2012 by conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated last month, to advocate for conservative politics on high school and college campuses.
Santa Clara University sophomore Blaine Fusi serves as president of his local Turning Point USA chapter. He said he hasn’t researched Bad Bunny enough to have an opinion on him as an artist. But he said it’s Turning Point USA’s prerogative to host its own halftime performance, adding no one is forcing anyone to watch either show.
“We should be able to live in a world where we can watch either/or, if we like,” Fusi told San José Spotlight. “Whether or not you disagree with the politics, at the end of the day, it’s just for entertainment.”
The conversation over the two shows comes as Levi’s Stadium, the San Francisco 49ers and nonprofit Bay Area Host Committee are preparing for Silicon Valley and Santa Clara to take the spotlight ahead of the Super Bowl and FIFA World Cup.
The team, stadium and nonprofit don’t have a say in who headlines the Super Bowl. But Zaileen Janmohamed, president and CEO of the Bay Area Host Committee, said her team is confident Bad Bunny will deliver an unforgettable experience after the artist was announced.
“This selection further amplifies the Bay Area’s position as a premier destination for world-class events, and we look forward to a spectacular show that showcases the unique spirit and diversity of our region,” she said in a statement last month.
Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X.
Associated Press reporters Jonathan Landrum Jr. and Adriana Gomez Licon contributed to the story.
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