Published by Cel Manero from Global One Media Inc.
The trio of Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tré Cool performed a medley including “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” “Holiday,” and “American Idiot.”
Green Day Kicks Off Super Bowl 2026 Opening Ceremony With Iconic Hits After Political Critique
Green Day brought their signature punk energy to the Super Bowl 2026 opening ceremony at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Sunday, Feb. 8.
The band, made up of frontman Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tré Cool, opened their show with “Holiday,” inviting fans onto the field for a high-energy medley of some of their biggest hits. The performance continued with 2004’s “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” which flowed seamlessly into “American Idiot.” NFL legends including Tom Brady, the Manning brothers, Joe Montana, and Jalen Hurts joined Green Day on stage for the mini-concert.
The NFL had announced in January that Green Day — formed in California’s East Bay in 1987 — would perform at the opening ceremony. Armstrong, 53, expressed his excitement at the time, saying, “We are super hyped to open Super Bowl 60 right in our backyard.”
Green Day released their most recent studio album, Saviors, in January 2024 and headlined Coachella last year. The band has a long catalog of hits, including “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” “American Idiot,” and “Basket Case,” spanning 14 studio albums over their career.
Armstrong has also been vocal about his political views, openly criticizing former President Donald Trump and ICE agents during a concert on Friday, Feb. 6. Trump, 79, had previously said he would not be watching the Super Bowl and called Green Day and halftime performer Bad Bunny a “terrible choice” that “sows hatred.” Armstrong has altered lyrics in “American Idiot” at recent shows to include the line “not a part of a MAGA agenda,” though this appeared to be censored during NBC’s broadcast on Sunday.
The Super Bowl ceremony also featured Charlie Puth performing the national anthem, Brandi Carlile singing “America the Beautiful,” and Coco Jones delivering “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Bad Bunny will headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show.
Looking back, Dirnt, 53, shared with Consequence last December how his friendship with Armstrong started in childhood. “We were 10 years old, first time I met [Billie],” he said. “Within a few minutes, one of the first conversations we ever had was about songwriting. We were just pointed into something that we thought was cool, ’cause at the time we were each struggling to mitigate our own home lives and things like that.”
Armstrong reflected on the band’s legacy in May 2025, speaking with PEOPLE about receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. “I never expected in a million years that we’d ever have a star like that. It’s still sinking in,” he said, calling it “a fever dream.”
