Bad Bunny drives interest in Super Bowl travel
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Bad Bunny will headline the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show in Santa Clara. Photo: Michael Loccisano via Getty Images for Coachella
Bad Bunny is driving a surge in interest in travel to the Bay Area for next year's Super Bowl after announcing that he will headline the halftime show.
Why it matters: As much as we love football, the halftime performance has increasingly become the Super Bowl's main event.
Driving the news: Americans' search sessions for travel to Santa Clara in February 2026 surged 501% this past week compared to the same time in September 2024, according to real-time data from travel agency Booking.com.
- Global travelers' search sessions for the same location and time frame jumped 473% across the site, the company told Axios.
- The data was compiled by analyzing search sessions from Sept. 20–29 in 2025 and 2024 based on check-in dates for the month of February.
- The Puerto Rican singer made his announcement on Sunday, so we're guessing most of that search interest came in the last 24 hours.
The intrigue: The Bad Bunny effect is real. Travel interest in New Orleans also surged following the announcement last year of Kendrick Lamar as the 2025 Super Bowl halftime performer, but not by as much.
What they're saying: "This is for my people, my culture and our history. Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el Halftime Show Del Super Bowl," the 31-year-old said in a media statement.
- Zaileen Janmohamed, president and CEO of the Bay Area Host Committee (BAHC), lauded the announcement in a press release.
What we're watching: With roughly four months until Super Bowl LX, preparations are underway to ensure the Bay Area is well equipped to welcome the hundreds of thousands of fans expected to flood the region.
The big picture: The San Francisco 49ers unveiled their $200 million Levi's Stadium makeover last month, which includes the largest 4K video display in the NFL.
- BAHC and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell also recently announced plans to hold an innovation summit at the SF Museum of Modern Art during Super Bowl week to showcase the Bay Area's roots in technology and civic leadership.
- That will include the Bay Area Technology Playground, with local product demos and interactive displays aimed at fans.