Bad Bunny kicked off the 51st season of “Saturday Night Live” with jokes about his upcoming Super Bowl halftime performance.
“I think everybody is happy about it — even Fox News,” he quipped during his monologue, before switching to Spanish to express Latino pride. “If you didn’t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn!”
The Puerto Rican superstar will make history by performing entirely in Spanish during Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
New Faces and Political Punchlines
The season premiere opened with a sketch mocking Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s remarks about “fat troops,” with Colin Jost playing Hegseth and James Austin Johnson reprising his role as Donald Trump. “Seventeen new cast members and they got the ‘Update’ guy doing the open,” Johnson’s Trump joked.
Five new featured players join the cast this season, following several departures.
ICE Controversy Fuels Weekend Update
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl announcement has sparked political chatter. He previously avoided U.S. venues over fears of ICE raids. When asked if ICE would be present at the Super Bowl, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said DHS would be “keeping it safe.”
Michael Che joked during “Weekend Update,” “A Trump adviser said ICE agents will attend the Super Bowl after Bad Bunny was announced as the halftime performer — you know, to catch all those farmworkers who can afford Super Bowl tickets.” The White House later clarified there’s “no tangible plan” to send ICE to the game.
Sketch Highlights and Guest Appearances
Doja Cat made her musical guest debut, while Benicio Del Toro surprised audiences in a sketch set in 900 A.D. with Bad Bunny as a Spanish ruler.
Upcoming hosts include Amy Poehler on Oct. 11, marking the 50th anniversary of SNL’s first episode, and Sabrina Carpenter on Oct. 18, who will also perform as the musical guest.
A Historic Moment Ahead
Bad Bunny’s appearance on “SNL” capped a milestone week that included a record-breaking residency in Puerto Rico and the Super Bowl announcement. His halftime show is poised to be a landmark cultural moment for Latinos and Spanish-language music on one of America’s biggest stages.
For more on this story, stay tuned to Que Onda Magazine.