Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show: Every Hidden Reference

Bad Bunny kicked off his groundbreaking Super Bowl halftime show with an Afro-Latino guitarist wearing a pava (straw) hat, declarating: “Qué rico es ser latino” (or “How wonderful it is to be Latino”). Played by Alexander Mercedes, a young Dominican singer from La Romana, he performed a tribute to legend Anthony Santos’ “Hoy Se Bebe” atop a bachata melody, filmed in a cane field in the Dominican Republic. It’s also the song that introduces “Tití Me Preguntó” — produced by MAG, who’s of Dominican and Puerto Rican descent.

As “Tití Me Preguntó” plays, the audience is introduced to a scene of sugar cane fields, with farmers chopping stalks — a nod to Puerto Rico’s colonial history. Sugar production has shaped the island’s past since the 1500s, when Taínos — the island’s indigenous people — were forced into labor by Spanish colonizers. After their near extinction due to exploitation, enslaved Africans were brought in to continue cultivating crops for trade abroad. Even after slavery ended, sugar remained central to Puerto Rico’s economy, accounting for nearly half of its agricultural production as late as 1964.

The symbolic imagery reminded viewers of the island’s painful legacy, but the moment wasn’t all serious. Fans chuckled when they realized some of the greenery wasn’t props — it was 380 performers dressed as blades of grass. A clever workaround, this gave jobs to people while adhering to NFL rules limiting field carts to protect the playing surface.

Bad Bunny passed by a vendor selling coco frío — fresh, chilled coconut water straight from the shell. A staple in tropical climates like Puerto Rico, it’s the ultimate refreshing drink for warm weather vibes — and hangover cure.

Beyond what songs he’d perform, one of the most talked about things was what he would wear. While many expected to see him sporting his pava (straw) hat, Bad Bunny instead took the stage in a cream-white jersey with “Ocasio” across the back and the number 64. Fans instantly wondered what the jersey symbolized and what it meant to him — and the answer was far more personal than anyone anticipated.

“1964 is the year my uncle Cutito was born, my mother’s brother,” he said in a statement shared with Rolling Stone. “The little I know about the NFL is thanks to him. He left for the United States at 17 to work and never returned to live in Puerto Rico, although he always visited us in late January or early February and stayed at our house. That was right in the middle of the NFL postseason, so I always watched the games with him. He was a huge fan of the San Francisco 49ers, the team whose home stadium is where this Super Bowl 60 took place, the one in which I performed. My uncle passed away two years ago, shortly after the 49ers lost to Kansas City in the 2024 Super Bowl. I always dreamed of taking my uncle to a Super Bowl and I couldn’t. He left unexpectedly, without warning. So during my Super Bowl Halftime Show, I decided to have him on my shirt: OCASIO, his last name, the same as my mother’s, and his birth year, 64. I dedicated my performance to him before it began. I’m sure he saw it, he was present and he felt proud of his nephew. Now all that’s left is the day the 49ers win another Super Bowl.”

The next stop in Bad Bunny’s opening performance saw a table of abuelos playing dominoes, a beloved tradition often called Puerto Rico’s unofficial national pastime. It’s a game enjoyed by all generations, and Bad Bunny nods to this cherished activity in his Grammy-winning hit “DtMF” with the lyric: “Ey, hoy vo’a estar con abuelo to el día jugando dominó.”

Benito passes by a nail salon table — where style and chisme (gossip) come together. “Vamo’ a tirarno’ un selfie, say ‘cheese’, ey,” he sings.

As the superstar rounds a corner, he encounters female workers beside a stack of cinder blocks. With women being the sole focus in this scene, we’d like to think that this represented the rebuilding of Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria in 2018. This also highlights how women spearheaded the recovery efforts where FEMA fell short.

The first moments of Bad Bunny’s performance wouldn’t be complete without a nod to piraguas —shaved ice treats drenched in sweet syrups, served up from colorful street carts. These icy delights are a staple of Puerto Rican culture, bringing refreshing joy to sweltering afternoons, and are tied to the island’s street life and traditions.

The Los Angeles taqueria, Villa’s Tacos, also found itself on the world’s biggest stage during Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show. The inclusion of the L.A. staple also carried some weight, resonating with the immigrant and first-generation communities of the city.

Boxing holds a special place in Puerto Rican culture, arguably producing more world champions per capita. Legends like Félix “Tito” Trinidad, Miguel Cotto, Wilfredo Gómez and Wilfred Benítez have put Puerto Rico on the map, dominating their weight classes and earning global respect.

Bad Bunny passes by a stand marked “Compro Oro y Plata” (I buy gold and silver) — a nod to the Caribbean’s cultural ties to gold. From colonial times when gold was a driving force behind European exploitation, to modern-day street vendors and jewelers, gold has long held significance in Puerto Rico’s identity.

As the superstar collects a gold ring, he passes it to a man who proposes to a woman.

Bad Bunny’s halftime performance wouldn’t be complete without La Casita, his portable replica of traditional Puerto Rican homes that honor the island’s architectural charm and cultural roots. This now-iconic spot also served as an additional stage for Benito and the ultimate A-lister hub, featuring cameos from stars like Cardi B, Karol G, Young Miko, Pedro Pascal and Jessica Alba.

If you were raised in a Latin household, Bad Bunny’s gesture of waking up a young boy asleep on a row of party chairs during the wedding reception likely struck a chord. It’s reminiscent of countless moments when my aunts or uncles would nudge me awake for a specific song or to join my cousins, even in the wee hours.

As El Conejo Malo transitioned between songs and scenes, plunging through his casita, brief samples of reggaetón classics like Tego Calderón’s “Pa’ Que Te Lo Gozen,” Don Omar’s “Dale Don Dale,” and Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” pulsed through the stadium. Then, Benito launched into his hard-hitting, Grammy-winning hit “EoO.” “This is the music of Puerto Rico,” he shouted in Spanish, sparking a full-blown reggaetón party and honoring the genre’s rich cultural roots of the ’00s.

While violinists played the gripping intro to “Monaco,” Bad Bunny gave a powerful speech: “Mi nombre es Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, y si hoy estoy aquí en el Super Bowl 60, es porque nunca, nunca dejé de creer en mí. Tú también deberías de creer en ti. Vales más de lo que piensas. Confía en mí.” This translates to: “My name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, and if I’m here today at Super Bowl 60, it’s because I never, ever stopped believing in myself. You should also believe in yourself. You’re worth more than you think. Trust me.”

In one scene, Benito stood atop a vintage 1968 Ford F-250. He may have chosen the classic American pickup truck as a nod to U.S. tradition, weaving it into the fabric of American cultural history.

The Puerto Rican superstar now joins the ranks of past halftime performers who incorporated cars into their iconic sets. In 2021, The Weeknd opened his show with a modified 2002 Mercedes-Benz SLK 32 AMG, while Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg showcased vintage Chevrolet Impala lowriders in their 2022 performance. Last year, Kendrick Lamar brought personal meaning to the stage with a 1987 Buick GNX — his dad’s car.

Another show-stopping moment unfolded during Bad Bunny’s halftime performance when a couple was legally married on stage, according to ESPN. The duo’s story began with an early proposal during the set — see our gold & silver item — and by midway through the performance, the pair tied the knot surrounded by backup dancers and, of course, the electric energy of the crowd.

The couple had originally invited Bad Bunny to attend their wedding, but Benito took it to another level, gifting them the ultimate honor of getting married during his historic halftime performance, mentions ESPN.

The next scene is Lady Gaga singing a salsafied version of “Die With a Smile” for the newlyweds, with a wedding cake display and all.

After the wedding scene and Lady Gaga, Bad Bunny transitions into a new moment with “NuevaYol” — his love letter to Nuyorican culture. A replica of a barber shop and bodega called La Marqueta stands as the backdrop, embodying the soul of Puerto Rican life in New York.

“Un shot de cañita en casa de Toñita y PR se siente cerquita,” he belts out, and none other than the beloved Toñita — owner of Brooklyn’s Caribbean Social Club — makes an appearance, serving him a drink behind the bar. Known as one of the last surviving Puerto Rican social clubs in NYC, Toñita’s Caribbean Social Club stands as a pillar of community, identity and cultural pride, a perfect centerpiece in Benito’s celebration of Nuyorican life.

One of the most touching moments from Bad Bunny’s halftime show came when he handed a Grammy trophy to a young boy dressed to resemble a young Benito. Seconds prior, you see the kid watching a vintage ’90s-era TV with his parents. The boy, portrayed by 5-year-old actor Lincoln Fox, wore a striped collared shirt and khaki shorts, channeling Bad Bunny’s childhood style.

Lincoln later shared the moment on his Instagram, captioning the clip, “I’ll remember this day forever! @badbunnypr – it was my truest honor.” The 5-year-old actor, who is half-Argentinian according to his Instagram bio, became part of the show’s symbolic gesture of hope, representing the idea that anyone can achieve their dreams.

As the melody shifted, the electrifying rhythm of “El Apagón” (meaning The Blackout) took center stage, highlighting Puerto Rico’s ongoing struggles with its power grid. In a striking visual, backup dancers climbed sparking electricity poles — and Bad Bunny later joined them as the lights flickered intermittently — amplifying the song’s deeply political message.

The song critiques the privatization of Puerto Rico’s energy grid under LUMA Energy, which has led to widespread instability and frequent blackouts, and underscores the lingering impact of Hurricane Maria. Beyond unreliable electricity, the song also highlights the displacement of Puerto Rican residents, many of whom have been pushed out due to rising costs driven by predatory corporate interests.

With sparks flying and lighting effects mimicking the island’s blackouts, Bad Bunny used the highly watched halftime show to bring awareness to Puerto Rico’s socioeconomic issues.

Bad Bunny closed his Super Bowl halftime performance promoting togetherness — rather than division, like some political parties. As flags from every corner of the Americas, the artist declared:

“God bless America… sea [be it] Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Perú, Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Cuba, República Dominicana, Jamaica… United States, Canada, and my motherland, mi barrio, Puerto Rico, seguimo aquí [we’re still here].””

He celebrated the culmination of his performance with a literal football spike into the end zone. The ball read “Together, We Are America” and was followed by the closing message on the screen behind him: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.”