Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX halftime show is tonight: timing, expectations and context

Bad Bunny takes center stage at halftime tonight, Sunday, February 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, capping a week of intense build‑up and debate following his headline‑making remarks at last weekend’s music awards. The performance — a first for a Spanish‑language solo headliner at the Big Game — is poised to be one of the most watched live music moments of the year.

When he’s expected on stage (ET)

Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET. Halftime typically arrives between 8:00 and 8:30 p.m. ET, depending on game flow, clock stoppages, and reviews. Pregame festivities have been running since early afternoon, with a full slate of ceremonies and musical moments leading into the national anthem and opening presentations.

What to expect from the performance

Details have been kept deliberately under wraps, but staging will follow the event’s usual rapid‑build, rapid‑strike playbook: a roughly 12–14 minute set designed to deliver maximum impact with swift field assembly and teardown. No special guests have been announced as of this afternoon, and the headliner has offered few specifics beyond signaling a high‑energy, unifying show. Expect a predominantly Spanish‑language set that still aims squarely at a mass audience — a reflection of how his catalog has crossed linguistic and cultural borders without compromise.

The week’s build‑up in the Bay Area

The artist arrived midweek for rehearsals and a pregame media session hosted by the halftime sponsor, where he addressed preparation and the pressure of the stage without revealing the setlist. Rehearsal activity around the stadium has been visible throughout the latter half of the week, with production trucks and staging crews executing timed field transitions. Behind the scenes, the headliner also met with prominent figures in the local tech and entertainment orbit as anticipation swelled across the region.

The cultural backdrop after last weekend’s speech

Seven days ago, during an acceptance speech at the major music awards in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 1, the star opened with a pointed appeal — “ICE out” — before pivoting to a broader message about dignity, belonging, and choosing love over hate. The remarks ignited a national conversation that continued through midweek, drawing responses from federal officials and fueling commentary about how tonight’s show might balance artistry, identity, and politics. Organizers have not signaled any overtly political staging, but the moment’s symbolism — a Puerto Rican superstar commanding the country’s biggest shared screen — has become a storyline of its own.

Why this halftime is historic

Tonight marks the first time a Spanish‑language solo artist headlines the game’s intermission. The milestone follows the headliner’s earlier cameo at the 2020 show and a run of record‑breaking tours and chart benchmarks that helped shift the gravitational center of pop toward global, multilingual audiences. The slot also reflects the league’s continued push to broaden its cultural footprint with performances that resonate beyond traditional viewership.

Songs and surprises to watch

With no guests confirmed, attention turns to which cuts make the final 12–14 minute sprint. Recent album material is expected to anchor the set, with room for career‑defining anthems that translate instantly in a stadium. Watch for brisk medleys that move quickly between eras, large‑format choreography, tight camera blocking, and a finale engineered for fireworks — literal or otherwise. If there is a cameo, it will almost certainly be timed to a drop everyone in the building already knows by heart.

Sources consulted: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_LX_halftime_show, https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/how-to-watch-super-bowl-halftime-show-2026-bad-bunny/, https://decider.com/2026/02/07/will-super-bowl-2026-be-on-paramount-plus/, https://www.nbcdfw.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/bad-bunny-grammy-speech-ice-out/3976681/