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Who is performing at the super bowl alternative halftime show
Executive summary
Turning Point USA announced plans for an “All‑American” alternative halftime show to run opposite the NFL’s Super Bowl halftime headlined by Bad Bunny, prompting discussion about performers (reports named possible country and rock acts such as Jason Aldean, Kid Rock) and fundraising/production questions; faith‑based artists Cory Asbury and Forrest Frank have publicly discussed staging a simultaneous Christian program as well [1] [2] [3]. Coverage shows competing efforts and some cancellations or broadcast disputes surfaced later in reporting [4] [5].
1. What’s officially on the Super Bowl halftime stage — and why it matters
The NFL selected Bad Bunny as the official Super Bowl LX halftime headliner; that choice sparked political and cultural debate because he primarily sings in Spanish and has criticized U.S. immigration policy, which critics used to justify creating counterprogramming [6] [1]. The NFL‑sanctioned show remains the global, broadcasted event — several outlets note Bad Bunny as the single, official halftime performer and frame alternative efforts as reactionary responses, not replacements [6] [4].
2. Who announced an “alternative” halftime show — and what they said
Turning Point USA, the conservative organization associated with Charlie Kirk (now led publicly by Erika Kirk and cited supporters), announced an “All‑American Halftime Show” to coincide with the Super Bowl halftime; its promotional materials solicited audience genre preferences and framed the event as a family‑friendly counter to Bad Bunny [1] [7]. Public figures such as Gracie Hunt, daughter of Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, publicly praised the Turning Point effort and suggested artists like Jason Aldean or Taylor Swift as examples of preferred performers [5] [8] [9].
3. Reported lineups, rumors and fact checks — where reporting diverges
Local and partisan outlets circulated candidate names — e.g., Kid Rock and Jason Aldean were mentioned in some pieces as likely fits for a conservative-leaning lineup [2]. Other reporting emphasizes the initial announcement but highlights the speculative nature of any definitive roster; Snopes and other fact‑checks clarified what Turning Point USA had actually announced versus rumor, noting that early social posts and a website existed but lineups were fluid or unconfirmed [10] [7].
4. Faith‑based alternative: Cory Asbury and the “Jesus moment” pitch
In another strand of alternative programming, worship leader Cory Asbury and artist Forrest Frank publicly discussed plans for a faith‑centered halftime event designed to coincide with Super Bowl Sunday and described the effort as aiming for “mass salvations,” while acknowledging the high production cost and that they would not profit from it [3]. That framing places the Asbury/Frank project in a religious evangelism context rather than a purely political counterprogram.
5. Distribution, broadcast hurdles and cancellations reported
Some outlets later reported broadcast complications and cancellations tied to conservative counterprogramming: one report says NBC dropped a Turning Point halftime special over “creative differences,” effectively leaving Bad Bunny as the uncontested televised halftime event [4]. These developments illustrate that announcing an alternative show and securing national broadcast distribution are separate and difficult steps [4].
6. Public reaction and political framing around alternative shows
Coverage shows sharp partisan reactions: supporters framed alternatives as protecting “faith, family, and freedom” or offering English‑language entertainment, while critics cast the moves as reactionary, culturally exclusionary, or politically opportunistic [4] [11]. Media outlets reported endorsements from conservative figures like Gracie Hunt and also documented pushback and fact‑checking when claims about boycotts or further consequences circulated [8] [10].
7. What reporting doesn’t say (limits of current coverage)
Available sources do not mention a finalized, publicly confirmed performer roster for a Turning Point USA show that was booked and broadcast nationwide; names cited in some pieces remain speculative or promotional [2] [11] [10]. Available reporting also does not provide detailed budgets, confirmed broadcast partners (beyond some reports of NBC cancelling involvement), or ticketing/venue confirmations for a competing live stadium production [4] [7].
8. Bottom line for someone asking “who’s performing?”
The only solid, universally reported fact is that Bad Bunny is the NFL’s official Super Bowl LX halftime performer [6]. Several groups — Turning Point USA and faith artists like Cory Asbury — announced or explored alternative halftime programming and circulated potential artist names (Jason Aldean, Kid Rock, others) but coverage shows those lineups were not uniformly confirmed and faced broadcast obstacles and fact‑checking [2] [3] [4] [10]. If you want a definitive roster for an alternative show, current reporting does not provide an indisputable, broadcast‑confirmed list [10] [4].