Green Day will take centre stage at Super Bowl 60, after the NFL confirmed the band will perform at the opening ceremony in Santa Clara next month.
The announcement immediately caught attention, not just because of Green Day’s status as one of America’s most recognisable rock acts, but because of their long history of openly criticising Donald Trump and his administration.
For the NFL, it marks a striking choice to begin the biggest night in American sport with a band that has never been shy about its political views.
A pointed choice before kickoff
Green Day will open the night at Levi’s Stadium on February 8, setting the tone before the game and ahead of a halftime show headlined by Bad Bunny.
That contrast has not gone unnoticed. While Bad Bunny’s booking has already divided opinion, Green Day’s involvement adds another layer to a Super Bowl lineup that feels anything but neutral.
Trump previously dismissed Bad Bunny’s halftime selection in a television appearance, saying: “I’ve never heard of him. I don’t know who he is.”
The league has not commented on that reaction, but the overall lineup places two very different cultural figures at the heart of the broadcast.
No strangers to political noise
Green Day have long made their relationship with American politics impossible to ignore.
Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong has repeatedly used live performances to voice frustration with Trump-era politics, including altering lyrics to “American Idiot” to reference the MAGA movement.
Those moments have tended to play out on stage rather than in press conferences, reinforcing the band’s image as one that prefers loud statements over careful soundbites.
Their Super Bowl appearance will not be a halftime spectacle, but opening the night ensures the band’s presence is still impossible to ignore.
‘Let’s get loud’
“We are super hyped to open Super Bowl 60 right in our backyard,” he said. “We are honoured to welcome the MVPs who’ve shaped the game and open the night for fans all over the world. Let’s have fun. Let’s get loud.”
The NFL also highlighted Green Day’s local roots in its own statement. League executive Tim Tubito described the booking as a way to celebrate Super Bowl history while recognising the host city.
“Celebrating 60 years of Super Bowl history with Green Day as a hometown band is an incredibly powerful way to kick off Super Bowl LX,” Tubito said.
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