Bad Bunny look-alike contest in San Francisco draws hundreds of fans

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A Bad Bunny look-alike contest at a San Francisco restaurant snowballed into a street party after hundreds of fans of the global superstar showed up to cheer his doppelgangers and sing along to his music ahead of his Super Bowl halftime show this weekend.

More than 30 contestants from across the Bay Area, including men with tight curly hair, women in wigs and fake facial hair and a kindergartener in a fedora, white tank top and bow tie, competed for a $100 prize at a packed Mexican restaurant in the Mission neighborhood.

They channeled the 31-year-old Puerto Rican singer through some of his signature looks, donning straw hats known as a “pava” and traditionally worn by Puerto Rican farmers, or a shearling aviator hat like the one the artist has worn at times since the release his 2025 album, “Debi Tirar Mas Fotos,” which translates to “I should have taken more photos.” It won album of the year at the Grammy Awards on Sunday.

Adam Fox, 24, and his friend Alejandro Kurt, 23, traveled from Belmont, a city about 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of San Francisco, after both men with curly dark hair and dark facial hair were told they look like Bad Bunny.

Fox, an aspiring actor who wore a suit, bowtie, and dark sunglasses, said he is a fan of Bad Bunny’s music even though he doesn’t speak Spanish.

His music “is like art. You don’t have to totally understand it. It could just be something that’s beautiful,” Fox said.

The contestants imitated Bad Bunny’s “perreo,” or twerking, and repeated his criticism of the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign with one wnnabe-Bad Bunny in a wig and a black tuxedo holding an “ICE Out” sign as she danced through the packed Tacolicious restaurant to roaring cheers from the crowd.

But the artist’s music remained the focus of the lookalike contest organized by Mission Loteria, a group that promotes Latino businesses, with people spilling out to the street where a DJ played Bad Bunny's most-loved tracks and some in costumes resembling the Puerto Rican crested toad, an endangered species that is featured in one of his music videos, danced with contestants.

Pamela Guo, 33, traveled from San Jose to compete in the contest dressed in an aviator hat, shorts and an athletic jacket. Guo, who had a painted-on beard, said she is such a fan of the singer that she traveled to Mexico City to see him in concert.

“I love to perrear and dance, so I do love that aspect of his music,” she said, adding that his last album has deeper lyrics that speak to her because they talk about our shared humanity.

The grand prize went to Abdul Ramirez Arroyave, a professional Bad Bunny impersonator from Colombia, who was dressed in a red shirt and straw hat on top a tight curly hair wig.

When asked to say a few words after his win, he said “thanks for everything” then broke into song with the crowd singing along Bad Bunny’s “Debi tirar mas fotos.”

Ramirez Arroyave then joined the party outside and took photos with his new adoring fans.

A contestant at the Bad Bunny look-alike contestholds an "ICE OUT" sign throughout the evening at Tacolicious in San Francisco, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (Giselle Garza Lerma/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Contestants line up at the Bad Bunny look-alike contest line up at Tacolicious in San Francisco, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (Giselle Garza Lerma/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Contestants line up at the Bad Bunny look-alike contest line up at Tacolicious in San Francisco, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (Giselle Garza Lerma/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Crowds cheer for contestants at the Bad Bunny look-alike contest at Tacolicious in San Francisco, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (Giselle Garza Lerma/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Winner of the Bad Bunny look-alike contest, Abdul Arroyave, at Tacolicious in San Francisco, on Feb. 5, 2026. (Giselle Garza Lerma/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show performer Bad Bunny speaks during a news conference, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in San Francisco ahead of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said Friday he's remaining with the Wildcats after being mentioned as a potential candidate to fill the coaching vacancy at blueblood program North Carolina.

“I'm happy to announce I'm staying at Arizona,” Lloyd said during his pre-practice news conference at the Final Four. “We've been able to get some things done the past couple days.”

The school also announced it had reached an extension with Lloyd through the 2030-31 season, though it didn't release financial terms. Lloyd had previously been under contract through the 2029-30 season worth an average of nearly $5.5 million in base and supplemental pay for the coming seasons, along with a buyout that dropped from $11 million to $9 million on Wednesday.

Lloyd, 51, had been considered a top potential target for the Tar Heels, who fired Hubert Davis on March 24 after five seasons. He had deflected questions about the UNC opening as the Wildcats (36-2) kept advancing in the NCAA Tournament to their first Final Four since 2001, including as recently as Thursday in Indianapolis.

Lloyd praised UNC as “a first-class organization” and said he appreciated “the way they've handled this.”

“Arizona basketball, you guys know what it means to me, and when I say it’s a special place, that always comes from the bottom of my heart,” Lloyd said.

“I didn’t want to make this entire Final Four about that because I’m just a small part of something much bigger. But on that same note, I’d also like to let you know that North Carolina is an amazing place. I mean, it’s a 1 of 1. It’s an honor to even be considered for that job.”

Lloyd's comments came a day before the Wildcats (36-2) were set to face Michigan in Saturday night's national semifinals in a matchup of the two 1-seeds in Indianapolis.

Wolverines coach Dusty May has also been mentioned as a possible UNC candidate, but said Friday he'll “never respond to any job speculation.”

“I think it’s well documented how happy I am at Michigan,” May said. “Obviously my private life, my personal life, my family, their happiness is very important. Yeah, I love it at Michigan, but you’ll never hear me comment on any other job unless Michigan lets me go and then I’ll comment on every job.”

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd watches during practice ahead of an NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game against against Michigan at the Final Four, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd waves as he cuts down the net after a win over Purdue in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd speaks during a news conference ahead of a national semifinal NCAA college basketball tournament game against Michigan at the Final Four, Thursday, April 2, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)