Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show Resonates with Latinos in Philadelphia

The Puerto Rican superstar's performance is seen as a powerful message of visibility and pride for the Latino community.

Published on Feb. 7, 2026

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Bad Bunny's highly anticipated Super Bowl halftime show performance is being celebrated by Latino organizations in Philadelphia as a moment of visibility, pride, and political significance. Local groups are hosting watch parties to not only enjoy the music, but also to share information about Puerto Rico's identity and the pro-independence movement, as well as the broader struggles faced by the Latino community in the United States.

Why it matters

Bad Bunny's performance as a Puerto Rican and Latino artist is viewed as a powerful statement, as Puerto Ricans are considered a "colonized people" and Latinos in the U.S. have faced challenges such as the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. The event is seen as an opportunity to celebrate Latino identity and culture, while also highlighting important political issues.

The details

Several Philadelphia-based Latino organizations, including Rivera-Reyes' group, Del Cora Collective, and Taller Puertorriqueño, are hosting watch parties for Bad Bunny's halftime show performance. These events will not only celebrate the music, but also share information about Puerto Rico's political status and the pro-independence movement, as well as the broader struggles faced by Latinos in the U.S.

  • Bad Bunny's performance will take place during the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday, February 11, 2026.

The players

Rivera-Reyes

The leader of a local organization that will be hosting a watch party and sharing information about Puerto Rico's identity and the pro-independence movement.

Darly Santelises

The founder of Del Cora Collective, which is hosting a Benito Bowl watch party at Percy Diner & Bar on Sunday.

Erikka Goslin

The executive director of Taller Puertorriqueño, a group hosting a Super Bowl watch party with the African American Museum in Philadelphia.

Ashley Jordan

The president and CEO of the African American Museum in Philadelphia, who proposed collaborating with Taller Puertorriqueño on a Super Bowl watch party in honor of Bad Bunny's halftime show.

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What they’re saying

“Puerto Ricans, while U.S. citizens, are 'a colonized people,' and Bad Bunny's performance as a Puerto Rican and a Latino is 'a really powerful message in this moment.'”

— Rivera-Reyes (whyy.org)

“Just being able to feel seen in this moment, where we as Latinos, even if we're documented or undocumented, we feel very low right now. So just being able to just see that, and him being able to speak about it, is going to express how all Latinos feel during this time …. And just being able to … showcase that, is going to make people that don't have a voice be seen and heard.”

— Darly Santelises, Founder, Del Cora Collective (whyy.org)

“It's about celebration and joy and coming together, but the personal is political. Puerto Rico is the oldest colony, and we cannot, you can't extricate that from the performance that we're going to see [Sunday] night. So I think that it's celebratory, it's a moment for coming together in love and joy, but it's also political, and it is to show our strength and our humanity.”

— Erikka Goslin, Executive Director, Taller Puertorriqueño (whyy.org)

What’s next

The upcoming Super Bowl halftime show performance by Bad Bunny is expected to be a highly anticipated and politically charged moment for the Latino community in Philadelphia and beyond.

The takeaway

Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show performance is seen as a powerful statement of Latino identity, pride, and political significance, resonating with the Philadelphia Latino community and serving as a unifying moment to celebrate culture and raise awareness of important issues facing the community.