Photo courtesy of Ana Toledo via Unsplash.
By Carla Morales
TAMPA, Fla. — It is no surprise that Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, better known as Bad Bunny, dominated the Super Bowl stage last Sunday. During his 13-minute set, the star brought multiple elements of Latin American culture to the show. The goal of his performance was to highlight Puerto Rican and Latin American culture for a national audience. From the sugar cane fields in the opening song to a finale featuring multiple national flags, Bad Bunny transformed the halftime show into more than just entertainment — it became a statement. However, while many praised the show for its cultural significance, it also sparked controversy, igniting debate over what a traditional Super Bowl halftime show should look like.
Here are some of the halftime show’s representations of cultural heritage:
Sugar Cane
At the beginning of the performance, a clip of a sugarcane field transitions to the physical set, revealing the singer walking through it as actors surround him, wearing straw “pava” hats and white clothing. This symbolizes the legacy of colonialism in the region, as sugar cane was the economic engine for Puerto Rico and many other Caribbean countries during the 19th and 20th centuries. Highlighting this during the performance helped raise awareness of Puerto Rico’s rural past that the general public may not have been aware of.
La Casita
La Casita directly translates to “the little house,” and was first seen in Bad Bunny’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos short film released in 2025. La Casita is the representation of a traditional Puerto Rican house from the midcentury. While these homes are becoming less popular with new developments on the island, he needed to remind the people of what the homes began like. Family is a central component of Puerto Rican culture. La Casita is always full, with many celebrities coming together under one roof, symbolizing unity. On Super Bowl Sunday, La Casita welcomed a host of important Latino celebrity guests, such as Pedro Pascal, Young Miko, and Karol G.
El Apagón reference
El apagón translates to “blackout,” a situation that residents regularly face on the island. Highlighting the island’s ongoing struggles with its power grid under LUMA Energy and broader socioeconomic issues, the performance featured electricity poles with sparks flying and lighting effects mimicking the blackouts.
Coconut Stand, Piragua Cart, and Taco Stand
The inclusion of typical food stands representing familiar sights in Puerto Rico and Mexican street culture — like the taco stand — highlighted the shared cultural connection within Latino communities. While performing, Bad Bunny stopped at each stand.
The piragua stand is an icon of Puerto Rican street food culture on hot, sunny days (which most days are on the island). This nostalgic, cone-shaped, shaved ice can be found around the island and is a staple of street vendors.
The coco frio cart — a quintessential, fresh, coconut water street stand common across Puerto Rico, from which actual chilled coconuts are sold — is another staple. These coconut stands are typically close to the beaches, to attract tourists or locals with this iconic taste.
Additionally, Mexican culture was represented through Villas Tacos, with the first-generation Mexican-American immigrant owner Victor Villas behind the stand.
Placing vendors and recognizable street foods as a prominent focus of his performance helps establish it as a celebration of Latino culture.
Young Boy Sleeping on Chairs
It is extremely common for Latino events or parties to go on until very late hours of the night (way past young kids’ bedtime). Parents’ solution to this is combining two chairs to create a makeshift bed. Many Latino children have experienced this tradition at least once. Seeing that exact moment on national television was a pure connection with all Latinos
The Finale: “Together We Are America”
Bad Bunny has always been an artist who speaks very loudly about his beliefs, especially now in reference to ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). On Feb. 1, while accepting the Grammy for Best Música Urbana Album for Debí Tirar Más Fotos, he said, “before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say: ICE out! We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans, and we are Americans.”
Additionally, during his halftime performance, he had the opportunity to make his opinions known to even more people from a public stage, but instead decided to begin the conclusion of his performance by shouting “God Bless America” and publicly uniting everyone with many Latin American, Caribbean, U.S., and Canadian flags.
He ultimately ended his performance by holding a football and saying, “Together we are America.”
While many celebrated Bad Bunny and his performance for being so culturally empowering, not everyone had the same reaction. To further understand how this iconic performance was perceived locally, students at the University of Tampa shared their thoughts on this Super Bowl halftime performance.
“I don’t think that the halftime show fit the Super Bowl audience,” said class of 2029 political science major Vito Scibilia. “As for himself, who is from Puerto Rico, that makes him an American. Overall, I would say he should’ve incorporated more lyrics in English to appease the majority.”
“I didn’t like it because I don’t typically listen to him, and I couldn’t understand what he was saying, but I liked it because it did send a message of unity and inclusion because he included everyone with their flags,” said class of 2029 international business and marketing major, Ellie Luber. “I think I would’ve liked it more if I could’ve understood his words.”
“I think a lot of people are ignorant and think America is just the United States, but in reality [it’s] all the countries Bad Bunny showed [the] banners from. I think he made sure to send a message of unity to all of America with the performance,” said class of 2029 allied health major, Diego Feijóo. “Being myself Puerto Rican and seeing all the props and symbols that represent our culture made me feel proud of where I am from.”