San Francisco didn’t wait for Sunday to start the halftime show.
On Feb. 5, Tacolicious in the Mission District hosted Mission Lotería’s Bad Bunny lookalike contest. Instead of staying contained, it spilled into the neighborhood. Mission Local reported a line of about 500 people stretching down Valencia Street, with DJs playing Bad Bunny tracks and the crowd yelling “Benito!” like he was about to walk out from behind the salsa bar. The sheer scale of the swarm turned a taco shop into a makeshift stadium. Passersby joined the chant as the sidewalk transformed into a high-voltage runway.
Valencia Street in San Francisco’s Mission District. Credit: Podstawko via Wikimedia Commons.
Inside, it got even more unserious.
The contestants didn’t just show up. They performed the “Bad Bunny Experience.” More than two dozen hopefuls cycled through the Benito timeline, from high-fashion tuxedos to sunglasses-and-attitude minimalism. There were fake beards, runway walks, and the kind of confidence you only get when a crowd is ready to scream for you on sight.
The prize. $100 cash, a Tacolicious gift card, and eternal bragging rights as the Bay Area’s “Chosen One” during Super Bowl week.
Then the winner happened.
Abdul Ramirez Arroyave, a professional Bad Bunny impersonator from Colombia, didn’t just look the part. He lived it. When handed the mic, he didn’t give a speech. He broke into song, and the crowd sang along like it was a tour stop.
The timing made it inevitable.
Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara hosts Super Bowl LX. Credit: Usbduong33 via Wikimedia Commons.
Bad Bunny is set to headline the Super Bowl LX halftime show at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 8. He’s also coming off a historic Grammys night where he won album of the year. San Francisco just proved it’s already in the mood. The buzz has reached a fever pitch as fans flood the Bay Area, turning every street corner into a celebration of the Puerto Rican star’s massive cultural impact.
A lookalike contest didn’t stay a lookalike contest. It turned into a rehearsal for what the crowd wants the weekend to feel like—loud, communal, and ready to lose it the second the lights drop.
In a city waiting for a superstar to land, sometimes “close enough” is plenty.