Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX Halftime Show wasn’t just spectacular—it was a logistical miracle that nearly didn’t happen.
The NFL imposed a strict limit: only 25 equipment carts allowed on Levi’s Stadium’s pristine grass field.
That constraint forced production designers Bruce and Shelly Rodgers, along with Julio Himede, to get wildly creative with one of the show’s most stunning visual elements.
Their solution? Transform 380 real people into living, breathing Puerto Rican pastizales—grass fields and plants that paid homage to Bad Bunny’s homeland.
A Production Unlike Any Other
Creative director Harriet Cuddeford didn’t mince words about the scale of ambition involved.
That solution of making the plant people, and then the plant people getting on and off in time, plus all the sets and all the performers — it was audacious in every direction.
Beyond the 380 “plant people,” over 330 actual cast performers took part in what director Hamish Hamilton called the biggest team effort of any show he’s ever produced—and that’s coming from someone who’s helmed countless Super Bowl halftimes, Oscars, Emmys, and Grammys.
The “Benito Bowl” featured superstar guests Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin, a real wedding ceremony, authentic business owners including Los Angeles’ Villa’s Tacos, and intricate choreography that could have collapsed at any moment.
No Harness, No Problem
Bad Bunny’s fearless approach to stunts gave producers heart palpitations—particularly when he scaled a tall utility pole with zero safety equipment.
He refused to wear a harness. He was like, ‘I don’t need it.’
Hamilton noted there were “all kinds of legal ramifications” to that decision, but Bad Bunny’s confidence opened up unexpected opportunities. Without harness rigging in the way, they mounted a camera directly on the pole for breathtaking downward shots.
Cuddeford marveled at his abilities.
He does his own stunts, that guy, and he learned it in about three minutes. Straight up that pole. At rehearsal, we were all like, ‘Is he gonna be OK?’ But he just went straight up there, and managed his vocals. Very agile. He could just, like, handle anything.
The Casita Stunt Required Surgical Precision
Bad Bunny falling through the pink casita roof wasn’t just physically demanding—it demanded meticulous timing across multiple pre-recorded elements.
Inside the casita, a family watched the Super Bowl on TV. On that TV screen, they saw Bad Bunny falling through a roof at the actual halftime show. Then he literally crashed through their ceiling onto their table.
That’s basically two different pre-tapes: The pre-tape inside the house, and then there’s the pre-tape on the field of him falling through the roof during the dress rehearsal. And then comping that all together, then cutting to the transition of him falling through the roof and be able to kick the front door open.
Cuddeford explained the stunt itself—falling through a trap door—was relatively straightforward. Synchronizing it seamlessly with layered video footage? That took weeks of planning.
A Wedding Invitation Sent on a Whim
The couple who got married during halftime—from Ontario, California—sent Bad Bunny a wedding invitation as a joke.
They had 15 extra announcements after sending invites to friends and family. Most went to local businesses hoping for freebies. The last one?
They were like, ‘Why don’t we send one to Bad Bunny? Lots of people send wedding invitations to him, so why not.’
Bad Bunny’s office reached out. They expected maybe a signed photo. Instead, they got invited to a Zoom call where they learned they’d be getting married at the Super Bowl during the halftime show.
Their planned first dance song? Bad Bunny’s “Baile Inolvidable.”
And so, they went from planning to play it at their wedding to being on the Super Bowl with him live, singing it. And with the bonus prize of Lady Gaga being the wedding singer as well.
The Grammy Moment Was Deeply Personal
Despite social media rumors, Bad Bunny didn’t hand his Grammy to Liam, the young Minnesota boy previously detained by ICE. The child was cast specifically for symbolic reasons.
Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio grew up watching his idols receive awards on television. Now he stands on stages accepting them from those same idols.
He really wanted to inspire the next generation.
That’s why the boy wore an outfit matching a famous childhood photo of young Benito. The moment represented Bad Bunny giving his Grammy to his younger self—and to all kids with similar dreams.
Did Bad Bunny take the Grammy back after the show? Cuddeford wasn’t sure, adding, “Knowing him, he might have just left it with the kid, honestly.”
Ricky Martin’s Song Carried Political Weight
Bad Bunny personally selected both Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin as guests. Martin, a Puerto Rican icon and childhood idol, performed “Lo Que Le Paso a Hawaii”—a song resonating deeply in both Puerto Rico and Hawai’i.
That’s a very meaningful song, almost kind of a plea to not turn Puerto Rico into Hawai’i. To make sure that it kind of retains its culture and its identity.
Bad Bunny had featured various guest artists performing that song during his residency but never managed to coordinate with Martin—until Super Bowl LX.
Real People, Real Stories
Every vendor and small business owner featured was authentic—flown in specifically for the performance.
- Victor Villa from Los Angeles’ Villa’s Tacos
- An actual piragua (Puerto Rican shaved ice) vendor
- Boxers Xander Zayas and Emiliano Vargas
- A real nail technician and barber
- An ordained minister who performed the wedding ceremony
- Maria Antonia Cay (Toñita) from Brooklyn’s Caribbean Social Club
The performance is celebrating normal people, and what it is to be human and love and have joy, and really appreciate one another. This was to show how much he values his community, to celebrate normal people on the world’s biggest stage, especially people who are of importance in Latino culture.
Split-Second Chaos Behind the Scenes
Technical glitches nearly derailed key moments. One camera crane lost digital connection and started spinning wildly out of control—like a hose with no one holding it.
Hamilton recalled it locked back into perfect position literally one second before they needed the shot.
Another visible wobble came when a handheld cameraman collided with a Chapman dolly as everyone raced to capture different angles simultaneously.
In the performance of ‘NuevaYol,’ there are moments when the cameras literally get to their point of shooting half a second before they’re on. The crane comes out, the cameras run half the way along a football pitch and literally, then run into Benito!
Cinematic Technology in Live Television
The show’s film-quality look came from using digital cinema cameras—technology not designed for live sports environments.
It’s very nerve-racking when you’re putting effectively Ferrari-esque technology to work in circumstances more attuned to using a Land Rover. These cameras are not really made to be used and run around a football field and put up in eight minutes.
That gamble paid off. Hamilton noted many people comment on the cinematic quality, while others simply think “it looks great.”
A Message That Resonated
Both Hamilton and Cuddeford felt audiences understood what Bad Bunny wanted to communicate.
That Latino people felt loved, seen and celebrated, and that people felt joyful. It’s just an incredible thing that he’s managed to do, and that we’ve all managed to support him and to help deliver that into the world at this time is, honestly, a complete honor.
Hamilton summed it up perfectly: “There’s a real sense of community and commitment to really delivering something that we all knew was going to be full of heart.”