Santa Clara [US], February 9 : Lady Gaga made a surprise appearance during Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny's Super Bowl 2026 halftime performance at Levi's Stadium on February 8, according to People.
About midway through the show, the 16-time Grammy winner took the stage alongside Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, delivering a show-stopping rendition of "Die With a Smile," her 2024 duet with Bruno Mars. Gaga performed the track solo with a live band, giving it a fresh arrangement from the original version, while Bad Bunny danced alongside her.
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"It was my absolute honor to be a part of Benito's halftime show. Thank you Benito for inviting me and thank you to the entire cast for welcoming me onto your stage. I wouldn't miss it for the world," wrote Lady Gaga on her Instagram handle as she shared glimpses of the performance.
Gaga previously headlined her own Super Bowl halftime show in 2017 and returned for a surprise pre-game performance at Super Bowl 2025. Sunday's show also featured performances by Ricky Martin, with star-studded cameos from Jessica Alba, Pedro Pascal, and Cardi B, who joined Bad Bunny on stage for his hit "I Like It," according to People.
Ahead of the performance, Jennifer Lopez, who co-headlined the 2020 Super Bowl Halftime Show with Shakira and previously brought out Bad Bunny as a surprise guest, expressed her support on social media. "@badbunnyPR...sending you all the love, positivity and the biggest hug in the world! We are all behind you tonight... Hit it hard, Benito! Like only you can!" she wrote.
Just a week prior, Bad Bunny received a standing ovation at the Grammys while accepting the Best Musica Urbana Album award for 'DeBI TiRAR MaS FOToS', using his speech to deliver a strong message addressing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The performance drew mixed reactions, with President Donald Trump earlier stating he was "anti" Bad Bunny and Green Day, calling them "terrible" choices for this year's halftime show, according to People.