Turning Point USA launches an “All American Halftime Show” on Super Bowl Sunday, framing it as a patriotic alternative amid backlash over Bad Bunny’s headline performance.
Turning Point USA, the conservative activist group now led by Erika Kirk, announced plans this week for an alternative halftime event to coincide with the Super Bowl on February 8.
The group—cofounded by the late Charlie Kirk—has opened registrations for the event and even listed preferred musical genres on a signup form, notably including an option described as “anything in English.” Organizers have not yet released a lineup or further logistics.
The announcement comes amid a public debate over the official Super Bowl halftime performer Bad Bunny, whose set has drawn criticism from some quarters for both political statements and language choice.
The performer at the center of the controversy, who predominantly records in Spanish and has publicly criticized immigration enforcement, has not appeared to be rattled by opponents.
During a recent late-night appearance he took the controversy in stride, using humor to deflect criticism and pointing to the media attention as part of the spectacle surrounding the gig.
🚨 HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨
— Turning Point USA (@TPUSA) October 9, 2025
It’s true, Turning Point USA is thrilled to announce The All American Halftime Show.
Performers and event details coming soon.
2.8.2026https://t.co/HBHGfXj6yU pic.twitter.com/HYUs6BqgVL
Turning Point USA’s move reframes the Halftime Show from a singular cultural moment into another front in a broader cultural and political contest. By advertising an event that explicitly signals its language preference, the group is casting musical taste as a proxy for political identity—an approach that will likely energize supporters while further alienating detractors.
The rivalry is as much about audience and symbolism as about music: for supporters, an “All American” show sends a clear message of cultural assertion; for critics, it risks turning a shared entertainment tradition into a partisan showcase.
Why this matters Staging a competing halftime event is a savvy political maneuver: it guarantees media coverage, rallies a base, and gives critics an outlet to translate cultural discomfort into a concrete alternative.
But it also deepens the politicization of popular culture at the expense of artistic nuance. Music and language are not inherently partisan; elevating “English-only” preferences to a political statement flattens what should be a pluralistic cultural conversation into an us-versus-them script.
Bad Bunny's monologue! pic.twitter.com/pjS0Ejckcg
— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) October 5, 2025
If organizers genuinely want to broaden participation in national moments like the Super Bowl, they would be better served by fostering inclusion rather than exclusion. A rival show that entertains without sidelining others would make a stronger case for unity.
As it stands, this announcement feels less like a celebration of American music than a political echo chamber staged under the bright lights of halftime.
