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A fan carries a giant Bad Bunny head through The Dead Flamingo bar, which hosted a watch party for the Puerto Rican star’s halftime show.
cjuste@miamiherald.com
To the hundreds of partygoers at a Little Havana bar, Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show was the main event, and they were celebrating history in the making with the game’s first Spanish-language performance.
During the “Benito Bowl Weekend: Mi Casa Tu Casa” festivities at The Dead Flamingo, people were packed inside the tiki-inspired bar with Latin flair Sunday night with seemingly high spirits. They waited impatiently for the first half of the game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots to conclude so they could enjoy the real entertainment — a free show by one of the hottest artists on the planet. It was one of several promoted throughout the city that focused not on the the game but on the halftime experience.
Read more: Bad Bunny’s halftime show reminds the world ‘America’ is more than just the U.S.
Bahamas native Paola Wells was dancing with a drink in one hand and her phone in the other, recording Bad Bunny on the bar’s big screen. She said it was her first time in the United States during the Super Bowl, and she couldn’t think of a better place to be.
“I love Bad Bunny,” Wells said, wiping tears from her eyes. “I loved the show.”
Bad Bunny, whose full name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, was the reason for the evening with “everything Benito-inspired” from cocktails to guest attire, the bar’s marketing director, Michael Guerrero, said.
“We’re obviously very Latino-based with a lot of pride,” he said.
Read more: What songs did Bad Bunny perform at the Super Bowl? Here’s the setlist
The show, which featured stars like Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin, turned the football field into a Puerto Rican sugarcane field where aspects of Puerto Rican life and the culture of Latin America and the Caribbean were celebrated. At the very end of the 13-minute performance, dancers ran through the field carrying flags of countries from North, Central and South America.
Unlike most Super Bowl parties, the football game was muted after Bad Bunny’s performance. A DJ took over to continue playing his tunes for a “strictly party mode,’ Guerrero said.
While the night was for drinks, dancing and fun, it held a deeper significance for Miami and the country, said Guerrero.
“He made it,” he said. “We made it. It’s a proud moment.”
People of all ages were shouting Bad Bunny’s songs during the commercial breaks leading up to the show. One man led a conga line around the bar while holding a giant cutout of Bad Bunny’s face. Some got up on a stage to compete in drinking games (putting on a football helmet and pads and chugging a beer) for bar credits. Dozens of people were dressed in limited-edition “Benito Bowl” gear.
When the halftime show kicked off, the bar erupted into cheers. A group of women danced. Drinks were spilled. One woman shrieked, “it’s starting,” as a man held up the Puerto Rico flag. It was hard to hear Bad Bunny’s performance at some points over the sounds of the crowd.
Gio Caceres called the show performance and the evening “perfect” — “the drinks, the vibes, the show… I loved it,” he screamed.
Owner Eddie Fuentes didn’t want to get into politics during the celebration, but his bar is a safe space for all people to enjoy, he said.
“Bad Bunny is the one that pushed that narrative,” Fuentes said. “We stand together with the Latino community, and Bad Bunny has been waving that flag.”
His halftime performance is an example of what can be achieved in America, he said
“Whatever background, whatever ethnicity, you can make it in the United States,” he said.
Alex Valle, who is the owner of Thank You Miami Cocina & Beerhouse, was among those seated at the bar enjoying the celebration. He called Bad Bunny’s performance “a step forward in life.” People need music and good times, especially in today’s political climate, he said.
For some, like Sasha Torres, it felt very significant for the country to see Bad Bunny perform amid “everything going on with ICE,” she said, adding he has always been vocal about his politics.
Torres said she’s seen Bad Bunny in concert several times, and she’s a huge fan of his work.
“As a Puerto Rican, it’s a proud day for us,” Torres said. “It’s recognizing our culture on the national stage.”
This story was originally published February 8, 2026 at 11:02 PM.
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