A Cultural Celebration

Super Bowl 60 Headlines Bad Bunny Along with Numerous Musical Performers

Photo from The Sylus / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Every year, the American public waits to see who will perform at football's most anticipated event: the Super Bowl. This year, the 60th game took place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. The musical artists are as much a draw to the event as the game itself, so those performing influence how the game will feel. The Bowl saw pre-game performances from Charlie Puth, Brandie Carlie and Coco Jones, with an opening act performed by Green Day. To headline the half-time show, Puerto-Rican artist Bad Bunny came out with an impacting production. 

To kick off the game, Grammy award winner Charlie Puth performed a rendition of America’s national anthem, “The Star Spangled Banner.” Sung at every Super Bowl, it certainly carries its own weight to it with its heavy history, but Puth did not disappoint. Following the anthem, singer-songwriter and Emmy winner Brandie Carlie rendered “American the Beautiful.” 

“That is a song that I can put every piece of my weight behind, every piece of my heart and soul and I can put inside the lyric of 'American the Beautiful' and mean it,” Carlie said in an interview. “And if I couldn't, I wouldn't. I wouldn't have sung it.” 

 Closing out the pre-game, American singer and actress Coco Jones performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” an emotional number showcasing the love for the United States. 

For the opening act, 90’s rock band Green Day performed a set of their biggest hits, consisting of “Holiday,” "Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” “Good Riddence (Time of Your Life)” and “American Idiot.” Their classic punk-rock feel set the exciting tone for the game ahead, with electric guitars and enthusiastic performances.

For the NFL’s 60th Super Bowl, Bad Bunny was officially announced to headline on Sept. 28, 2025. Initially, the announcement caused some controversy, as he would be the first Spanish speaking soloist to headline the event. Despite this, the NFL carried on with the plans as said. Performing songs from his newly Grammy winning album “DtMF.” During the show, he displayed a powerful message: “The Only Thing More Powerful Than Hate Is Love.” His performance celebrated different American countries' cultures through their home flags. As a surprise to the audience, several celebrities including Lady Gaga, Pedro Pascal and Ricky Martin appeared for the show. 

As a whole, the musical performers at the 60th Super Bowl reflect trends which impacted on the nation. This year’s  Super Bowl showed memorable performances alongside the football itself. Charlie Puth, Green Day and Bad Bunny all displayed their creative visions through the art that they were able to share on such a large scale.