Gabby Barrett is trading the traditional Super Bowl spotlight for a different kind of primetime stage, signing on to perform at Turning Point USA’s “All American Halftime Show.” The Munhall native and American Idol breakout is joining a lineup built as a direct counterprogramming move to the NFL’s official halftime performance. Her decision drops her squarely into the middle of a culture clash that now runs straight through the biggest night in American sports.
Instead of sharing a bill with Bad Bunny at the league’s main event, Barrett will stand alongside Kid Rock and a slate of country stars at an alternative show that leans hard into patriotic branding. For Turning Point USA, it is a chance to turn political frustration with the NFL into a made-for-TV spectacle. For Barrett, it is a high profile, and potentially polarizing, way to plant a flag in that debate.
The All American Halftime Show Takes Shape
Turning Point USA has spent months teasing an alternative to the NFL’s midgame extravaganza, and now the “All American Halftime Show” finally has a full lineup and a clear identity. Organizers are pitching it as a family friendly, patriotic broadcast that runs at the same time as the official Super Bowl performance, with the explicit goal of giving viewers a different option built around faith, family and freedom. The group’s push to stage an Alt Super Bowl event has turned what is usually a single shared pop culture moment into a split screen.
The show is being branded as “The All American Halftime Show,” a name that signals exactly where Turning Point USA wants to position itself in the culture war. The organization, which has built its profile on college campuses and conservative media, is leaning into a red, white and blue aesthetic and promising a program that feels more like a political rally than a neutral concert. Its leaders have framed the event as proof that there is a large audience hungry for entertainment that reflects their values, and they are betting that enough viewers will flip the channel away from the NFL to validate that claim.
Kid Rock, Country Firepower, and Barrett’s Big Slot
At the center of the alternative broadcast is Kid Rock, who is headlining the show and performing at halftime on Sunday, just not at the Super Bowl. The Detroit rocker is fronting what organizers describe as a star studded bill that also features Brantley Gilbert and Lee Brice, giving the event a heavy country rock flavor. The decision to put Kid Rock at the top of the marquee surprised no one, given his long running alignment with conservative politics and his frequent criticism of mainstream pop culture.
Along with Kid Rock, the so called All American Halftime Show is leaning on a trio of country performers, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice and Gabby Barrett, to round out its musical muscle. The lineup is designed to appeal to fans who already see these artists as cultural allies, and it underscores how Turning Point USA is using music as a shorthand for identity. The presence of Brantley Gilbert and his peers signals that this is not just a political event with a soundtrack, but a full scale country show that happens to double as a statement.
Gabby Barrett’s Conservative Stage Turn
Gabby Barrett’s addition to the bill gives the All American Halftime Show a fresh, chart tested voice and a direct line to younger country fans. The Munhall singer, who first broke through on American Idol, is now stepping into a space where music and politics are openly intertwined. Local coverage has already highlighted how Scott Mervis and others see her move as a notable moment for a Pittsburgh area artist, especially one whose career has largely been framed around mainstream country success rather than overt activism.
Her booking also fits neatly into Turning Point USA’s strategy of pairing veteran lightning rods with newer stars who carry less political baggage. Barrett’s American Idol roots are front and center in promotional material, which touts her as a breakout from the long running competition series. Social posts have emphasized that Gabby Barrett will be performing at the All American Halftime Show as an alternative to the Super Bowl, a framing that makes clear she is not just another name on a festival poster but a central part of the counterprogramming pitch.
Why Turning Point USA Is Targeting the Super Bowl
Turning Point USA is not shy about why it is pouring resources into a rival halftime broadcast. The group has seized on conservative backlash to the NFL’s choice of Bad Bunny as this year’s Super Bowl headliner, arguing that the league has drifted away from the values of a big chunk of its audience. Organizers have described their event as a response to that frustration, with Erika Kirk and other Turning Point USA figures casting the show as a way to keep viewers engaged without asking them to sit through a performance they see as out of step.
The organization has also framed the broadcast as part of a broader push to build its own media ecosystem, one that can compete with legacy institutions on marquee nights like the Super Bowl. Promotional materials promise that the All American Halftime Show is happening after all, despite earlier questions about whether it would come together in time, and they lean heavily on the idea that Turning Point USA is creating a space where their supporters can feel represented. That message is reinforced in coverage that notes how Turning Point USA is selling the event as proof that a different kind of halftime show can draw serious attention.
Bad Bunny, Backlash, and a Split Screen Super Bowl
The NFL’s decision to tap Bad Bunny as its Super Bowl headliner is the other half of this story, since the All American Halftime Show only exists in relation to that choice. While Bad Bunny takes the stage at the league’s official event, Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert and Lee Brice will headline Turning Point USA’s alternative halftime show, airing at the same time and courting viewers who feel alienated by the main broadcast. Coverage of the lineup has stressed that Bad Bunny is the official centerpiece while Turning Point USA is building a parallel universe for those who want something else.
That split has turned halftime into a referendum on taste and politics, not just music. Turning Point USA has formally announced its alternative Super Bowl halftime show, including Gabby Barrett, and has made a point of contrasting its bill with the NFL’s. Reports from WASHINGTON, identified as TNND, note that Turning Point USA announced its lineup on a Monday in early Feb, underscoring how quickly the group moved to capitalize on the controversy and lock in a competing spectacle.
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