This year's Super Bowl was a historic one. Not just because it was the event's diamond anniversary and because the Seattle Seahawks DOMINATED the New England Patriots 29-13. But also because of the plethora of musicians we saw perform and make guest appearances.
Of course, the musical highlight of the evening was Bad Bunny's halftime show; it was the first time an artist had performed a primarily Spanish-language set. But other acts such as Green Day, Coco Jones, Brandi Carlile, Charlie Puth, Lady Gaga, and Ricky Martin also unified the crowd at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Pre-game Performances
The pre-game ceremony kicked off with a special tailgate performance by LaRussell and Teddy Swims. LaRussell went on first, sharing songs like "I'm From The Bay" from his upcoming album, Something's In The Water. A full band accompanied him as he carried out his energetic set. Wearing a studded leather jacket, Swims sang hits like "Lose Control", "She Likes The Rain," "Devil In A Dress," "Funeral," and "Are You Even Real."
After those two warm-ups, Green Day's act was broadcast. To tease the set, the NFL brought out a string quartet to perform the band’s sentimental “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” as Tom Brady, Peyton and Eli Manning, Jalen Hurts, and other past MVPs walked onto the field. The camera then panned to Green Day, who launched into “Holiday” in front of a crowd of cheering fans waving flags, signs, and foam hands shaped like the American Idiot grenade hearts.
In their usual all-black attire, Green Day moved swiftly into “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” and then “American Idiot.” Joining the trio onstage were their longtime touring bandmates, including Pinhead Gunpowder guitarist Jason White.
After that, it was time for the more patriotic part of the event. Coco Jones tackled "Lift Every Voice and Sing," supported by an eight-member string band. Her all-white outfit was an homage to Whitney Houston's 1991 Super Bowl National Anthem look. After her, Brandi Carlile brought out her guitar and performed a moving acoustic version of "America the Beautiful." Joined by a cellist and violinist on the field, the 11-time Grammy winner passionately belted the final verse of the track, "From sea to shining sea."
Charlie Puth then gave a soft rendition of the National Anthem. The multi-platinum artist crooned on a Rhodes keyboard alongside a choir and small orchestra.
Bad Bunny's Halftime Show
Bad Bunny's highly-anticipated halftime set was packed with rich production design, energetic choreography, special appearances, deep symbolism, and of course, his biggest hits.
The recent Album of the Year Grammy winner first launched into his iconic Un Verano Sin Ti single “Tití Me Preguntó.” He rapped inside a sugar cane farm while people in pava hats harvested the crop. Clutching a football to his chest and wearing an all-white outfit (including a football jersey emblazoned with the number 64 and his mother’s last name, Ocasio, on the back) Bad Bunny strutted through the field, passing people going about their daily lives: men playing dominos, women painting their nails, two athletes boxing, and stands selling coconut water, tacos, and piraguas.
the opening from Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show is so perfect omg pic.twitter.com/hGHCsSfaTW
— Spencer Althouse (@SpencerAlthouse) February 9, 2026
Singing YHLQMDLG’s “Yo Perreo Sola,” Bad Bunny then emerged in front of a traditional pink house (a staple of his shows, affectionately labeled "La Casita") while dozens of dancers performed a synchronized routine on its front yard. The porch had some special guests hanging out on it: Cardi B, Karol G, Pedro Pascal, Jessica Alba, Young Miko, and more could all be seen dancing
Bad Bunny scaled the building's roof, occasionally rapping to a top-down camera hanging above him before sneaking in a bit of “Voy a Llevarte Pa’ PR.” Suddenly, the reggaeton star crashed through the house’s roof and landed in a family’s living room. He then exited to a brief sample of Daddy Yankee’s beloved classic “Gasolina” before launching into his own Grammy-winning single “EoO.”
“Everybody, believe in yourselves!” Bad Bunny called out in Spanish. Costa Rican conductor Giancarlo Guerrero - sporting a brown suit adorned with a sequined flor de maga, the national flower of Puerto Rico - led over a dozen string players in a romantic rendition of “Monaco” while a couple got married (for real!) on a courtyard. Dancers then stepped back to reveal an unexpected surprise: Lady Gaga in a blue dress as she launched into a salsa take on her Bruno Mars duet “Die With a Smile.” (For those shocked - Bad Bunny has been a longtime fan of Gaga's, and has cited her 2020 album Chromatica for helping him through difficult times. She recently surprised him just before his big Album of the Year win at this year's Grammy Awards.)
Bad Bunny's band Los Pleneros de la Cresta backed Mother Monster during her solo. While wedding guests danced in circles and the happy couple sliced into an enormous tiered cake, Benito sang “Baile Inolvidable” then took Gaga in his arms and salsa danced with the pop star.
#BadBunny and #LadyGaga dance together during the #SuperBowl Halftime Show.
— Variety (@Variety) February 9, 2026
Gaga made a surprise appearance in the middle of Bad Bunny's halftime set to sing "Die With A Smile."
(via NBC/NFL/Apple Music) pic.twitter.com/Jug01wl59i
Bad Bunny then leaned back, crowd-surfing before performing the Debí Tirar Más Fotos hit “Nuevayol.” While everyone paced before a barbershop and corner mart, the reggaeton star called out “San Francisco!” and took a shot poured by Toñita, who oversees Brooklyn’s Caribbean Social Club - one of the last traditional Puerto Rican social clubs in New York City. Off to the side, a family watched Bad Bunny’s viral Grammy Award acceptance speech on a small, old-school TV set before the star himself approached them, handing the young boy his actual trophy.
The camera then panned to a musician playing the Puerto Rican cuatro as - surprise! - Latin pop legend Ricky Martin popped up to sing “Lo Que Paso a Hawaii.” It's a song in which Bad Bunny considers the gringo-ification of Puerto Rico gaining U.S. statehood, akin to Hawaii’s experiences.
RICKY MARTIN IN THE HOUSE #AppleMusicHalftime pic.twitter.com/awIdEV0f7c
— NFL (@NFL) February 9, 2026
Riding that high, Bad Bunny picked up a Puerto Rican flag and bust out “El Apagón,” his Un Verano Sin Ti song, while three dancers twirled from power lines in pavas. Soon Benito joined them up there, scaling one of the utility poles: a reference to Puerto Rico’s ongoing power grid struggles, a years-long reality the star documented in a short film.
When the jubilant beat of “Cafe con Ron” kicked in, Bad Bunny took off across his maze of a stage setup while all of the performers followed behind him playing instruments, waving Latin American flags, and jumping around. “God bless America,” he yelled, staring at the football in his hands. Bad Bunny then turned to the camera and, as if clarifying what that statement truly meant, proceeded to name nearly every country in North and South America. Countries he missed - such as Brazil, Antigua and Belize, to name a few - were ultimately represented with flags behind him.
Behind him, the football stadium’s billboard displayed giant letters: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.” He lifted up the football, emblazoned with the words “Together we are America,” and spiked it into the ground. At last, Bad Bunny allowed himself to experience the joy of it all, ripping out his in-ear monitors to sing “DtMF” while pogoing in the air and hugging his friends.
Technically, this wasn’t the first time Bad Bunny performed at a Super Bowl halftime show. Back in 2020, he sang “I Like It” and “Chantaje” with Shakira, who co-headlined that year alongside Jennifer Lopez in Miami. The halftime show marked Bad Bunny’s only stateside performance for the foreseeable future. His Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour, which kicked off last November and runs through May, includes no stops in the U.S. or Canada.
Commercials and Special Stadium Appearances
Additionally, the 2026 Super Bowl featured major music artists in commercials. Once again, Lady Gaga appeared in the broadcast, present in ads for both Pokemon and Rocket Mortgage. A State Farm commercial featured both KATSEYE and Jon Bon Jovi, centering on the latter's hit "Livin' On a Prayer." The Backstreet Boys were featured in spots for T-Mobile and Coinbase.
Other notable appearances included Post Malone (Bud Light), Sabrina Carpenter (Pringles), Charli XCX (Poppi) Benson Boone (Instacart) and Addison Rae (Uber Eats), among many others.
Additionally, numerous celebs were spotted watching the big game from the sidelines. Key figures in attendance included Jay-Z, Travis Scott, Justin Bieber with Hailey Bieber, and Post Malone. Other notable music-related figures watching included Blake Shelton, Jon Batiste, and Queen Latifah.
Watch the pre-game performances and halftime show (click the links to YouTube), as well as commercials featuring musical stars below.
Green Day's Pre-Game Performance:
Coco Jones' "Lift Every Voice and Sing":
Brandi Carlile's "America the Beautiful":
Bad Bunny's Halftime Show:
READ NEXT: 10 Best Super Bowl Halftime Show Performances
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Article Image: Photos of Green Day, Bad Bunny with Ricky Martin and Lady Gaga, and a portrait of Charlie Puth. (PopularImages and Image Press Agency via DepositPhotos, ladygagaofficiall via Instagram)
