As Green Day took the stage to open the 2026 Super Bowl, anticipation was high for a politically charged performance from the band—a moment that ultimately did not occur.
Lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong is known for his outspoken nature on issues he is passionate about, leading many to expect a powerful statement addressing divisive topics in the United States during the performance.
Fans were particularly anticipating Armstrong to criticize Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, considering his strong comments against them just two days prior to the event.
Leading up to Super Bowl LX, Armstrong emphasized that their presence at such a significant event in American sports did not mean they would be silent. However, during the performance, there was no sign of his previous political fervor regarding ICE or critiques of the Trump administration. Instead, the band delivered a setlist filled with their classic hits, energizing the audience without any political commentary.
This non-political performance was a stark contrast to Armstrong’s impassioned speech at a Spotify and FanDuel sponsored Super Bowl party the previous Friday night at San Francisco’s Pier 29.
“To all the ICE agents out there, wherever you are, quit your s***ty-a** job. Quit that s***ty job you have,” Armstrong said. “Because when this is over, and it will be over at some point in time, Kristi Noem, Stephen Miller, JD Vance, Donald Trump, they’re gonna drop you like a bad f***ing habit. Come on this side of the line.”
The comments were made during a private and exclusive concert, not overseen by the NFL, which perhaps gave the singer more freedom to express his views.
During the same event, Armstrong adjusted some of the lyrics in their songs, such as ‘I’m not part of the MAGA agenda’ in ‘American Idiot’ and a nod to Jeffrey Epstein in ‘Holiday’, altering ‘the representative from California has the floor’ to ‘the representative from Epstein Island has the floor’.
Expectedly, these lyric changes were absent from the Super Bowl performance, where Armstrong and his band stuck to their well-known songs. They did, however, provoke a reaction by dropping an f-bomb during the set, which was quickly censored by NBC.
Attention now shifts to Bad Bunny’s upcoming half-time show. Will he utilize the Super Bowl’s vast audience to deliver a political message of his own?