Super Bowl countdown almost over as Bad Bunny prepares for historic show

After a week of frenzied build-up in the San Francisco Bay Area, America’s biggest game takes place on Sunday night.

Super Bowl 60 is being held in Santa Clara, California, with the New England Patriots aiming for a record seventh victory.

The Seattle Seahawks are narrow favourites to lift the Lombardi Trophy, but Sunday’s game is about much more than the NFL champions being decided.

Many stars from sport, music and film have headed to the Bay Area for what is one of the biggest events in world sport.

Millions will tune in around the world, with the past three Super Bowls having been the most-watched US television broadcasts since the 1969 Moon landing.

And many of those viewers will be switching on just for the half-time show, with Bad Bunny set to perform a historic set, although US president Donald Trump will not be one of them.

After the Kansas City Chiefs reached five of the past six Super Bowls, one of the NFL’s most iconic franchises is back in the big game.

The Patriots have reached their first Super Bowl since 2019 and the departure of legendary quarterback Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick.

Led by second-year quarterback Drake Maye, they will make a record-extending 12th appearance in the NFL showpiece and aim for their seventh win, which would break a tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

They will meet Seattle in a repeat of Super Bowl 49 in 2015, when the Patriots denied the Seahawks back-to-back championships.

This is Seattle’s first Super Bowl appearance since then, and their fourth overall, with their sole championship win coming in 2014.

Many of the millions watching around the world will be more interested in the half-time show than the game itself.

Puerto Rican pop star Bad Bunny has been chosen as this year’s headliner having been a special guest when Shakira and Jennifer Lopez headlined in 2020.

He will not only be the first solo male Latin artist to perform the half-time show but also the first artist to perform their set entirely in Spanish.

The 31-year-old was Spotify’s most streamed artist in four of the past six years. He is also an actor, has hosted Saturday Night Live and been a WWE 24/7 champion.

Rock band Green Day, who are from California, will play an anniversary ceremony before Sunday’s game and the NFL has teased that there will be some surprises at half-time.

Bad Bunny and Green Day have been critical of President Trump, and Bad Bunny’s selection in September prompted opposition in right-wing media circles.

Trump became the first sitting president to attend America’s biggest game last year but he said this year’s on the west coast is “just too far away”.

Asked about the selection of Bad Bunny and Green Day, Trump added: “I’m anti-them. I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred.”

Bad Bunny said he avoided the US on his current world tour because of concerns that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents would conduct raids on fans at his concerts.

There were fears there would be raids around the San Francisco Bay Area this weekend, plus further protests after two people were shot dead by ICE agents in Minneapolis.

But, speaking on Tuesday, the NFL’s chief security officer Cathy Lanier said that no ICE operations are scheduled around any of the many Super Bowl events.

Although Sunday’s game will take place at the home of the San Francisco 49ers, Levi’s Stadium is 45 miles south of the Golden Gate Bridge in Santa Clara.

While San Francisco has been the main hub during Super Bowl week, events and parties have been spread around the Bay Area, beginning with Opening Night in San Jose on Monday.

Actor Jon Hamm hosted the NFL’s end-of-season awards night on Thursday, which was attended by Steve Irwin’s son Robert, who earlier in the day took a snake into the media centre to help promote the first NFL game in Melbourne later this year.

Shaquille O’Neal hosted a party on Friday while Post Malone held a free concert, with artists as diverse as Olivia Dean, Shaboozey, Sting, Calvin Harris, Zach Bryan and Teddy Swims playing at other events.

Cardi B also performed on Saturday before watching her partner Stefon Diggs play for the Patriots on Sunday, when Charlie Puth, Brandi Carlile and Coco Jones are also among the gameday performers.

Other visitors include Roger Federer, Jay Z, Travis Scott, Mark Wahlberg and Paris St-Germain owner Nasser Al-Khelaifi.

Super Bowl 60 will kick-off on Sunday at 23:30 GMT and be broadcast live on Channel 5, Sky Sports and DAZN.

You can listen to live radio coverage on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds and follow live text coverage via the BBC Sport website and app.