Turning Point USA, the conservative and right-wing organization founded by the late Charlie Kirk, is hosting its own Super Bowl LX halftime show.
“It’s true, Turning Point USA is thrilled to announce The All-American Halftime Show,” an October 2025 X statement read, noting the concert will celebrate “faith, family and freedom.”
The All-American Halftime Show is set to feature performances from Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice and Gabby Barrett on Sunday, February 8. The show will air at the same time that Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny (real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) takes the main stage at the 2026 Super Bowl.
“What I’m feeling goes beyond myself,” Bad Bunny said in a statement last year, announcing his performance. “It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown … this is for my people, my culture and our history. Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el HALFTIME SHOW DEL SUPER BOWL.”
Bad Bunny’s selection soon sparked backlash from conservative football fans who hoped to see a performer sing in English. (While most of Bad Bunny’s songs are in Spanish, he is an American citizen, as Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States.)
“I’m very excited to be doing the Super Bowl and I know people all around the world who love my music are also happy,” Bad Bunny said on Saturday Night Live in October 2025, addressing the criticism. “If you didn’t understand now what I just said, you have four months to learn!”
Bad Bunny later clarified in his official preshow press conference that understanding Spanish was not a prerequisite for enjoying his show.
“It’s better they learn to dance,” he said during Apple Music’s Super Bowl LX halftime show press conference. “There’s no better dance than the one that comes from the heart. That’s the only thing that they need to worry about.”
Keep scrolling to learn more about the controversy surrounding Turning Point USA’s All-American Halftime Show:
Who Is Performing in Turning Point USA’s Halftime Show?
The Turning Point USA halftime show will feature performances from Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice and Gabby Barrett.
Rock’s participation subsequently raised eyebrows after fans wondered whether he was going to sing 2001’s “Cool, Daddy Cool” with lyrics about liking underage girls.
“Now some people say my mind’s blown, I’m coolin’ like a snow cone / On my cellphone, I’m paid, G, can’t call me, just page me / Young ladies, young ladies, I like ’em underage,” the lyrics read. “Some say that’s statutory (But I say it’s mandatory) / My story ain’t that complex, two forties and a Rolex / I rip, I rock, I roll, G, I trim my hair with the Flowbee.”
While Rock has not addressed his 2001 hit resurfacing, he’s long defended his music.
“I really didn’t change, like, I came out with middle fingers on my CDs, running my mouth,” he said on the “This Past Weekend” podcast in 2024. “I always say, and I sound redundant probably, but I haven’t changed — the times have changed. I’ve been doing the same thing since day one.”
Kid Rock Addresses Bad Bunny Comparisons
Kid Rock released a statement about playing in the All-American Halftime Show and going head-to-head with Bad Bunny’s concert.
“We plan to play great songs for folks who love America,” he said in February. “We’re approaching this show like David and Goliath. Competing with the pro football machine and a global pop superstar is almost impossible … or is it? [Bad Bunny] said he’s having a dance party, wearing a dress and singing in Spanish? Cool. We plan to play great songs for folks who love America.”
What Has Erika Kirk Said About the Halftime Show?
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at the age of 31 in 2025. Charlie’s widow, Erika Kirk (née Frantzve), took over as the organization’s CEO and chairperson.
“It’s powerful because what Charlie always loved and knew is that he wanted to be in the forefront of the culture war,” Erika told Fox News of the alternate halftime show. “He would be fist-pumping at this. He would be so stoked. And what better way to honor him than to just get in the middle of this and be able to offer an alternative to families.”
She continued, “That’s the thing that is so beautiful about Turning Point USA and our programs — it’s holistic, it’s for the entire home. It’s of every age, and so for us to be able to provide an alternative that is pro-America, that is just pro-everything, that’s not the opposite of what they’re putting out there — I don’t want to go into details and bash that because there is apparently an audience that wants that, but there’s a larger audience that wants ours.”
Erika further stressed it was “very brave” of Kid Rock and the other headliners to sign onto Turning Point’s show “without hesitation.”
“It’s actually been a huge blessing, and it’s going to be an unbelievable halftime show,” she teased.
