Taylor Swift reportedly turned down an offer to headline the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show before the NFL announced Bad Bunny as its featured performer.
Journalist Rob Shuter wrote on his Substack that the league approached Swift about performing at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, but she “wanted a deal that reflected her value.”
A source told Shuter, “Taylor Swift doesn’t need exposure.”
They added, “She doesn’t need the Super Bowl. But the Super Bowl absolutely needs her. Without Taylor, it’s just another halftime show.”
Swift, 35, has been a fixture in NFL broadcasts since going public with her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in 2023.
Following reports that Swift passed on the halftime slot, the NFL confirmed Sunday that Bad Bunny will headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show. The announcement came during the Green Bay Packers–Dallas Cowboys broadcast.
Super Bowl LX will mark the second time Levi’s Stadium hosts the game.
How Bad Bunny Spent the Weekend Before the Announcement
Page Six reported that Bad Bunny was in Miami in the days leading up to the announcement, spending time at Gekkō, the Japanese steakhouse he co-owns with hospitality entrepreneur David Grutman.
He greeted fans, posed for selfies, and later joined a bachelorette party on the dance floor, according to a source who said he “spent hours dancing.”
The 31-year-old Puerto Rican star also dined at Casadonna with friends the following night and returned for brunch on Sunday.
Hours later, he posted a video to Instagram announcing he would headline the Feb. 8 halftime show, captioned, “Super Bowl LX. Bay Area. February 2026. #AppleMusicHalftime.”
“What I’m feeling goes beyond myself,” Bad Bunny said in a press release. “It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown… this is for my people, my culture and our history.”
Speaking with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe and Ebro Darden, he said it “felt good” to share the news after keeping it quiet “for so long,” according to Deadline.
He added, “I’m really excited for my friends, my family. Puerto Rico, all the Latino people around the world.”
Bad Bunny said he is still finalizing what the performance will look like, but assured fans, “It’s going to be good.”
Originally published on Music Times
