Expand / Collapse search
☰

Grant Park Music Festival conductor in Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show

By Lauren Westphal
Published  February 8, 2026 9:01pm CST
Chicago
FOX 32 Chicago

The Brief

    • Chicago-based conductor Giancarlo Guerrero, artistic director of the Grant Park Music Festival, appeared during Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday.
    • The six-time Grammy winner was seen conducting young string players, becoming the first classical musician featured in a halftime show since 2016.
    • Guerrero called the experience inspiring and meaningful, saying Bad Bunny’s music felt like home and joking his family would not have forgiven him if he had passed it up.

A familiar Chicago face could be glimpsed during Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday.

The Grant Park Music Festival’s Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, Giancarlo Guerrero, was part of this year's halftime show. Guerreo is the first classical musician to be featured in a halftime show since Gustavo Dudamel’s appearance with YOLA in 2016. 

What we know:

Guerreo, a six-time Grammy winner, was seen during the performance conducting a group of young string players.

Born in Nicaragua, Guerreo immigrated to Costa Rica when he was young and came to the United States to study percussion and conducting from Baylor University in Texas and Northwestern in Chicago.

"Bad Bunny is a multi-talented artist who plays so many kinds of Hispanic music. It doesn’t just feel familiar, the music feels like home. It was quite an amazing experience to be a part of," says Guerrero. "There are so many brilliant artists involved with the creation of this show and it was beyond inspiring to work with them and watch it all come together. How exciting to be a part of it all!"

"Both my daughters and wife are huge fans of Bad Bunny," Guerrero adds.  "If I wouldn’t have jumped at this opportunity, they would never have forgiven me!"

The Source: Details for this story were provided by the Grant Park Music Festival.

ChicagoNews