Super Bowl LX kicked off with high energy as Green Day delivered a standout pregame performance at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, prompting fans to argue the punk rock band deserved the halftime slot over Bad Bunny.
Green Day Energizes the Crowd
Before the Seattle Seahawks faced the New England Patriots on Sunday night, Green Day fired up the audience with a set featuring an instrumental version of ‘Good Riddance,’ followed by ‘Holiday,’ a slower ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams,’ and closing with ‘American Idiot.’
Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong skipped his typical anti-Donald Trump lyric changes during ‘American Idiot,’ where he often criticizes the MAGA agenda. Some viewers claimed NBC censored parts of the broadcast, though evidence points to bleeping profanity rather than political content.
Fans Rally for Green Day on Social Media
Social media buzzed with support for Green Day headlining halftime. One X user posted, ‘I’m not even a Green Day fan… but I’d take them over Bad Bunny for the halftime show any day.’
Another declared, ‘Green Day is a 400 million times better artist than Bad Bunny.’ Additional comments included: ‘Green Day would’ve been a better halftime performer than Bad Bunny!’ and ‘Green Day would have been much better than bad bunny (they playing rn) no hate to bad bunny but damn imagine.’
Fans suggested, ‘Bad Bunny and Green Day could’ve swapped gigs tonight,’ with one simply stating, ‘Green Day > Bad Bunny.’
Bad Bunny Faces Backlash Ahead of Halftime
Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, headlines halftime five months after his announcement drew criticism. Some Americans plan to boycott due to his anti-Trump views and Spanish-language songs.
Bad Bunny has voiced opposition to the Trump administration and ICE. At the 2026 Grammys last weekend, after winning an award, he said, ‘Before I say thanks to god, I’m going to say, ICE Out. We are not savage. We are not animals. We are not aliens. We are humans, and we are Americans.’
He added, ‘The hate gets more powerful with more hate. The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love. So, please, we need to be different. If we fight, we have to do it with love. We don’t hate them, we love our people, we love our family, and that’s the way to do it, with love.’
In response, Turning Point USA organized an alternative halftime show featuring Kid Rock for conservative audiences.
Armstrong also targeted ICE at a pre-Super Bowl event in San Francisco, urging agents: ‘Quit your s**tty a** job… Because when this is over, and it will be over at some point in time, [Homeland Security Secretary] Kristi Noem, [White House advisor] Stephen Miller, [Vice President] JD Vance, Donald Trump, they’re gonna drop you like a bad f**king habit. Come on this side of the line.’
