"We are honored to have him" - Jay-Z opens up on Bad Bunny performing at the Super Bowl

On Sunday night (September 28), Bad Bunny posted an Instagram video with Apple Music, Roc Nation, and NFL, announcing that he is going to headline the upcoming Super Bowl halftime show in 2026. 

“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 on Bad Bunny performing at the Super Bowl pic.twitter.com/Qb3cy0Cfrm

— Kurrco (@Kurrco) September 29, 2025

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Following the announcement, Roc Nation's founder, Jay-Z, also issued a statement supporting Bunny - born Benito Antonio Martinez - which claimed the star's dedication for his homeland, Puerto Rico, was "truly inspiring," furthe adding:

"We are honored to have him on the world's biggest stage."

Benito's name as halftime's upcoming headliner comes after rumors of Taylor Swift in talks with NFL regarding the same circulated social media earlier this month.

Last week, sources with inside information of these negotiations claimed that the deal fell through after certain demands put forward by the Love Story singer were not met by NFL. 

Bad Bunny dedicates his Halftime headlining gig to his culture and history

Bad Bunny stuns for Super Bowl LX halftime show announcement. pic.twitter.com/pXvmyzy4o2

— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) September 29, 2025

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After Bad Bunny was announced as the next headliner at the 2026 NFL Super Bowl halftime show, the star issued a heartfelt statement of his own, saying:

"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."

Much like Taylor Swift, Benito is a well-deserving candidate for the gig, having won 14 latin Grammys and 3 Grammys.

Earlier this year, the 31-year-old completed a 30-show residency in Puerto Rico, which drew over 500K fans to the country. 

His all-Spanish album released in 2025 - Debí Tirar Más Fotos - has also been a huge commercial success, ranking Bunny among the most streamed artists around the world. 

Bad Bunny's halftime announcement comes weeks after the singer decided to exclude the US for his upcoming world tour - supporting Debí Tirar Más Fotos.

Antonio clarified in an interview that his fear of immigrant fans facing the threat of deportation at his concert was at the heart of this decision. He said:

"There was the issue of – like, f**king ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about."

Bad Bunny's Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour is scheduled to kick off in Santo Domingo on November 21, 2025, and will conclude in Brussels next year, on July 22. 

It was intially going to have 24 shows, but was later expanded to 57 stops due to popular demand. During the tour, Bunny will perform across Mexico, Colombia, Australia, Spain, England, France, Portugal, Italy, Sweden, and Poland.

In 2026, the Super Bowl halftime festivities will be hosted in Santa Clara's Levi's Stadium (in San Francisco Bay Area) on February 8.