The lineup for the “All-American Halftime Show” has been unveiled for the 2026 Super Bowl, and the internet can’t decide if it’s sad, funny, or somehow both at the same time.
This weekend, millions will be tuning in to watch the Super Bowl, but a full-blown controversy has already unfolded, and it has nothing to do with football.
“This is somehow sadder than I thought it would be,” one commented online.
Highlights
- The halftime show for the 2026 Super Bowl is already steeped in controversy.
- Turning Point USA unveiled its lineup for the alternative, “patriotic” All-American Halftime Show.
- The lineup of artists, competing against Bad Bunny’s 2026 Super Bowl performance, was brutally mocked online.
- “This is somehow sadder than I thought it would be,” one said.
The halftime show for the 2026 Super Bowl is already steeped in controversy
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Turning Point USA, the organization founded by the late right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, has unveiled its lineup for the “All-American Halftime Show,” which will be an alternate performance to the official Super Bowl LX Halftime Show, headlined by Latin music superstar Bad Bunny.
The rival show will be running in parallel with the Latin superstar’s 2026 Super Bowl performance on February 8.
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The All-American Halftime Show was organized to be a “family-friendly, values-driven” event.
Four artists were chosen to perform and offer “uplifting, patriotic entertainment” to viewers.
Kid Rock is set to be the main act, joined by country musicians Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett.
Turning Point USA unveiled the lineup for the MAGA-friendly “All-American Halftime Show”
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Meanwhile, Bad Bunny, who is fresh off his victorious Grammy night, is going straight to the Super Bowl stage as the official headliner of the Super Bowl LX Halftime Show.
Green Day—whose anti-Trump frontman Billie Joe Armstrong said “I'm not a part of a redneck agenda. I'm not a part of the MAGA agenda” during a concert last month—will warm up the Super Bowl with their opening ceremony performance.
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Kid Rock didn’t mince words when he spoke about “competing” with the Grammy-winning reggaeton rapper from Puerto Rico.
“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?” Kid Rock said in a press release.
The All Summer Long singer seemingly took a dig at Bad Bunny in his statement.
“He’s said he’s having a dance party, wearing a dress, and singing in Spanish? Cool,” Kid Rock continued. “We plan to play great songs for folks who love America.”
“We’re approaching this show like David and Goliath,” said Kid Rock, the main performer for the rival show
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Turning Point USA branded the All-American Halftime Show as a “unique, patriotic event proudly celebrating American culture, freedom, and faith.”
The performance will be streaming on the MAGA-friendly organization’s social media channels, including YouTube, X, and Rumble.
“Never heard of three of them, but, enjoy,” a social media user quipped
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Andrew Kolvet, the spokesperson for Turning Point USA, said the show will be an opportunity for “all Americans to enjoy a halftime show with no agenda other than to celebrate faith, family, and freedom.”
“We set out to provide an entertainment option that will be fun, excellent, and exciting for the entire family while millions are gathered together for the big game,” he added.
The patriotic branding of the “competing” show received a lot of side-eye online
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The patriotic branding and the line up of the All-American Halftime Show received a lot of side-eye online.
“I’ve seen random street festivals with better lineups,” one commented online, while another said, “Y’all couldn’t even get like a b-list celebrity?”
Another asked, “MAGA’s obsession with Kid Rock? Like? I don’t get it????”
“Ain’t nobody watching that sh**,” one said.
On the other hand, MAGA heavyweights like US Vice President JD Vance and Donald Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., praised the lineup for the All-American Halftime Show.
The former called it a “fantastic lineup,” while the latter said, “I'll take this over Woke Bunny any day of week [sic].”
MAGA heavyweights cheered what they called a “fantastic lineup” for the All-American Halftime Show
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After Bad Bunny was announced as the headliner for the 2026 Super Bowl performance, MAGA supporters were vocal about their disdain for the DtMF artist.
Bad Bunny spoke against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers at the Grammy Awards last Sunday, and said, “ICE out” during his acceptance speech for Best Música Urbana Album.
“ICE out,” Latin superstar Bad Bunny said during his acceptance speech at the Grammys
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“We're not savages, we're not animals, we're not aliens – we're humans,” he declared on music’s biggest stage.
Rock band Green Day has also been openly critical of the Trump administration and the MAGA agenda.
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Donald Trump berated both Bad Bunny and Green Day last month and showed his displeasure in seeing them perform at the upcoming Super Bowl.
“I’m anti-them. I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible,” the US president told the New York Post.
Donald Trump berated the choice of Bad Bunny and Green Day as performers for the upcoming Super Bowl
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He however insisted that he wasn’t skipping the game because of the artists.
“It’s just too far away. I would. I’ve [gotten] great hands [at] the Super Bowl. They like me,” he added. “I would go if, you know, it was a little bit shorter.”
Netizens had plenty to say about the two halftime shows running in parallel with each other
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