The Ultimate Super Bowl Halftime Show Breakdown: From Kendrick Lamar's Historic LIX Set To Bad Bunny’s Groundbreaking LX Takeover

The landscape of the Super Bowl Halftime Show has been completely redefined, moving from a traditional rock and pop spectacle to a showcase of global hip-hop, R&B, and Latin music dominance. As of December 10, 2025, the music world is still buzzing from the historic performance at Super Bowl LIX, while simultaneously looking ahead to an equally groundbreaking headliner for the upcoming Super Bowl LX. The NFL and sponsor Apple Music have doubled down on diversity and cultural impact, making the halftime slot the most coveted and discussed 15 minutes in entertainment.

The most current and exciting news centers on the confirmed headliner for the 2026 event, but to understand the scale of the moment, one must first look back at the immediate past. The Super Bowl LIX show in New Orleans delivered a powerhouse performance that set a new artistic benchmark, featuring a hip-hop titan and a surprise cast of A-list guests that few saw coming. The transition from the recent show to the next one solidifies a new era of global superstars taking center stage.

Bad Bunny: The Next Halftime Show Headliner and Full Biography

The biggest news on the horizon is the confirmed headliner for the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show in 2026. Taking place at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, the coveted spot will be filled by none other than Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny.

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This announcement is monumental, as Bad Bunny is set to become the first solo Latin artist to headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show. His selection underscores the massive global shift in music consumption, where Latin trap and reggaeton have become dominant forces. The performance is expected to be a politically charged and culturally significant moment, blending his signature sound with the grandeur of the NFL's biggest night.

Bad Bunny (Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) Profile

• Real Name: Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio
• Born: March 10, 1994
• Birthplace: Vega Baja, Puerto Rico
• Genre: Reggaeton, Latin Trap, Hip-Hop
• Career Highlights: Bad Bunny rose to fame on SoundCloud while working as a bagger at a supermarket. He has since become one of the most streamed artists in the world, with multiple chart-topping albums like Un Verano Sin Ti and YHLQMDLG. He is also known for his acting roles and appearances in WWE wrestling.
• Super Bowl Significance: First solo Latin headliner in the history of the Super Bowl Halftime Show.

A Look Back: Kendrick Lamar’s Groundbreaking Super Bowl LIX Performance

The last halftime show, held on February 9, 2025, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, was a historic event in its own right. Hip-hop icon Kendrick Lamar headlined the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show, marking a significant milestone as the first solo hip-hop artist to ever take on the headlining role.

Lamar, a 22-time Grammy winner, delivered a powerful and highly conceptual performance that blended his artistic vision with mainstream appeal. The set was filled with motifs of the United States and featured elaborate choreography, cementing his status as one of the most important artists of his generation.

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The Full Roster of Super Bowl LIX Halftime Guests

While Lamar was the undisputed headliner, the show was elevated by a carefully selected list of special guests, including a few major surprises that broke the mold of previous halftime shows. The inclusion of these artists and figures added layers of depth and cultural commentary to the spectacle.

Confirmed Musical Guests:

• SZA: The Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter joined Lamar on stage, adding a dynamic R&B element to the setlist. Her appearance was widely anticipated, given her massive chart success and critical acclaim.
• Mustard: The influential producer and DJ also made an appearance, underscoring the West Coast hip-hop roots of Lamar’s music.

The Surprise Celebrity Appearances:

In a move that generated massive buzz and media commentary, the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show featured two non-musical icons in prominent roles:

• Samuel L. Jackson: The legendary actor made a surprise appearance, reportedly introducing Lamar at the start of the performance. Jackson was dressed as a figure resembling Uncle Sam, adding a theatrical and potentially satirical element to the show’s opening.
• Serena Williams: The tennis superstar was also among the special guests, making a brief but impactful cameo. Her presence, alongside Jackson's, suggested a deeper narrative or a pre-show skit connected to the overall theme of the performance.

The Setlist and Key Musical Entities of Super Bowl LIX

Kendrick Lamar’s setlist for the Super Bowl LIX show was a curated journey through his diverse and acclaimed discography, featuring tracks from his most recent works and his classic, politically charged albums. The performance showcased his versatility, moving seamlessly between hard-hitting rap and more introspective tracks.

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The setlist, which spanned less than 15 minutes, was a masterclass in condensing a monumental career into a high-energy, televised event. It included fan favorites and tracks that demonstrated his ability to dominate the charts while maintaining artistic integrity.

Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl LIX Setlist Highlights:

• "Squabble Up"
• "HUMBLE." (from the album DAMN.)
• "DNA." (from the album DAMN.)
• "Euphoria"
• "Man at the Garden"
• Tracks from the Black Panther soundtrack

This selection of songs highlighted key entities in Kendrick Lamar's career: the critically acclaimed album DAMN., his recent chart-topping singles like Squabble Up, and his work on the Black Panther movie, which further solidified his cultural influence beyond music. The show also served as a major promotional platform for the Apple Music sponsorship, which took over from Pepsi as the official halftime show partner.

The New Era of Halftime Show Headliners: Cultural Impact and Future Predictions

The back-to-back selection of Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny signals a definitive shift in the NFL's approach to the halftime show. The focus is now firmly on artists who represent massive, diverse, and often younger global fan bases, a clear move away from the classic rock and legacy pop acts that dominated the stage for decades.

Bad Bunny's upcoming performance at Super Bowl LX is expected to be a massive cultural moment for the Latin music community. His ability to blend reggaeton with Latin trap and other genres has made him a global phenomenon. The choice is a powerful statement about the inclusivity and reach of the NFL's biggest event, ensuring that the show remains current and relevant to a worldwide audience.

With pregame performers for the 2026 event already announced—including Charlie Puth, Brandi Carlile, and Coco Jones—the entire Super Bowl LX musical lineup is shaping up to be one of the most diverse in history. This commitment to fresh, chart-topping talent ensures that the Super Bowl Halftime Show continues its evolution from a football intermission to a standalone, must-see global music event that reflects the current state of the industry and popular culture.