Kid Rock delivered a counter-programming performance on Sunday, headlining Turning Point USA’s “All American” Halftime Show as Bad Bunny took the stage for the official Super Bowl L halftime show. The conservative organization aired the concert in direct response to the NFL’s selection of the Puerto Rican superstar.
The roughly 30-minute show, which streamed live on YouTube and lasted a few minutes into the third quarter of the Super Bowl game, featured performances from Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett alongside Kid Rock. It opened with an electric guitar rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix. Gilbert kicked off the musical performances, wearing a “God Family Country” T-shirt and declaring, “this is real America” before launching into his song “Real American.”
Lee Brice used his performance as an opportunity to pay tribute to Charlie Kirk, the late co-founder of Turning Point USA, stating that Kirk “gave people microphones so they could say what’s on their mind, this is what’s on mine,” before performing “Country Nowadays,” a song containing lyrics about navigating modern America with “small-town views.”
Gabby Barrett’s set, featuring multiplatinum hits “I Hope” and “The Good Ones,” was considered one of the strongest performances of the evening.
Kid Rock took the stage in the final minutes, initially sporting a black shirt and shorts for a two-song set that began with “Bawitdaba,” though he largely let the recording play whereas he performed. He later reappeared, now wearing slacks and introduced as Robert Ritchie, to perform a cover of Cody Johnson’s “Til You Can’t.”
The show concluded with another commemoration of Kirk, displaying previous quotes and video clips of him with family and at Turning Point USA events.
Prior to the show, Turning Point USA stated that the event would have “no agenda other than to celebrate faith, family and freedom.”
“We’re approaching this show like David and Goliath,” Kid Rock said in a statement earlier in the week. “Competing with the pro football machine and a global pop superstar is almost impossible … or is it?”
The Super Bowl remains the most-watched television event of the year, and Bad Bunny’s 90.5 million Spotify listeners far surpass Kid Rock’s 5.3 million, making the alternative performance a long shot in terms of viewership. The livestream peaked at nearly 5 million viewers. Hours before the show, TPUSA encouraged viewers to tune in on YouTube after being unable to secure licensing for a livestream on X.
Turning Point USA first announced plans for an alternative halftime show in October, shortly after the NFL announced Bad Bunny as this year’s performer, a decision that drew criticism from figures like President Donald Trump and Mike Johnson. Bad Bunny’s performance marked the first Spanish-language performance in Super Bowl history.
Bad Bunny, a U.S. Citizen born in Puerto Rico, is currently one of the world’s biggest artists, and his selection reflects the NFL’s efforts to broaden its audience. He has also been a vocal critic of the Trump administration’s immigration policies, calling for “ICE Out” during a recent Grammy acceptance speech and previously citing fears of ICE raids as a reason for limiting tours in the United States.
“We’re not savages, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens, we are humans and we are Americans,” the performer said last week. “The hate gets more powerful with more hate. The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love. So we need to be different. If we fight, we have to do it with love. We don’t hate them. We love our people. We love our family, and that’s the way to do it with love. Don’t forget that, please. Thank you.”
