Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Producers Explain All: The Real Wedding, Those Grass People, the Child Who Got the Grammy Award and More

The logistical challenge facing Bad Bunny's Super Bowl LX Halftime Show producers was significant: a strict NFL limit of 25 equipment carts for the natural grass field at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. To realize the artist's ambitious vision, creative compromises were necessary. The ingenious answer for one of the spectacle's most memorable visuals—the pastizales, or grass fields, evoking Puerto Rico's landscape—was to replace props with people. Production designers Bruce and Shelly Rodgers enlisted roughly 380 individuals to costume as living foliage, simplifying the complex staging transitions. "Transforming the set into plant people, who then had to exit on cue alongside all the other performers and scenery, was a bold move in every sense," explained creative director Harriet Cuddeford. "With over 330 core performers plus the plant people, the scale was simply massive."

Ultimately, Bad Bunny—the stage name of Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, whose 2022 album 'Un Verano Sin Ti' was the first all-Spanish language record to win the Grammy for Album of the Year—and his team executed what may stand as the most meticulously detailed halftime production in Super Bowl history. The "Benito Bowl" featured A-list cameos from Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin, integrated a genuine wedding ceremony, and showcased authentic small business owners like Victor Villa of Los Angeles's famed Villa's Tacos. "Live television is a minefield of variables," Cuddeford noted. "We were on real grass with no stadium roof, so contingency plans for rain were essential. So many elements could have faltered, yet the show unfolded almost flawlessly. We were all left in awe that it actually worked." Veteran director Hamish Hamilton, whose credits include numerous Super Bowl shows, Oscars, and Grammys, called it "the biggest team effort of a show I have ever been involved in."

Several behind-the-scenes details highlight the production's precision and the artist's personal involvement. Bad Bunny famously declined to use a safety harness for his pole-climbing segment. "He insisted he didn't need it," Hamilton recalled. "While that created legal complexities, his refusal allowed us to mount a camera on the pole to film his ascent." Cuddeford added, "All safety measures were available, but he prefers doing his own stunts. He mastered the climb in minutes, maintaining his vocals effortlessly—his agility is remarkable." Another complex sequence involved the singer falling through the roof of a casita, or small house, set. "The stunt used a trapdoor," Cuddeford said, "but the planning was meticulous because it cut into a pre-taped segment showing a family watching the Super Bowl on TV, only for him to crash through their ceiling. It required blending multiple pre-tapes and a live transition seamlessly."

The inclusion of a real married couple, Jess and Kim from Ontario, originated from an overprinted batch of wedding invitations. "They sent one on a whim to Bad Bunny's office," Hamilton shared. "Instead of a signed photo, they received a Zoom invite and learned he wanted them to marry at the Super Bowl during his performance." Their planned first dance song, "Baile Inolvidable," was then performed for them live by Bad Bunny, with Lady Gaga serving as an impromptu wedding singer. The performance also featured a young boy dressed to mirror a childhood photo of Bad Bunny. "This was Benito's idea to inspire the next generation," Cuddeford explained. "He'd just won Best Album at the Grammys and wanted to symbolize passing the torch." The Grammy statuette he handed the child may have been a permanent gift: "Knowing him, he might have just left it with the kid."

Cultural authenticity was a cornerstone. The poignant duet of "El Apagón" with Ricky Martin served, in Cuddeford's words, as "a plea to protect Puerto Rico's cultural identity from over-commercialization." Real community members—from a piragua vendor to boxers, a nail technician, and a barber—were highlighted on stage. The set included a faithful replica of Brooklyn's iconic Puerto Rican bar, Toñita's, with the owner herself flown in for a shot-sharing moment. Despite near-misses, including a crane camera briefly losing connection and a dolly collision causing a visible wobble, the broadcast succeeded. Hamilton credited the use of delicate cinema cameras over rugged sports models for the show's cinematic look, despite the risk. Reflecting on the achievement, Cuddeford said, "The goal was for Latino people to feel loved, seen, and celebrated. To help deliver that message to the world was a complete honor."