The U.S. national anthem began with the sound of mariachi at Soldier Field on Monday night, before the Chicago Bears faced the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football. Hometown ensemble and two-time Latin Grammy nominee Mariachi Herencia de México performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" in charro suits, accompanied by the strings and brass of its Mexican musical tradition.
The performance, part of the Bears' Latino Heritage Month celebration, was the first time a mariachi group performed the anthem at Soldier Field.
Herencia de México was cheered by the fans and drew praise from viewers who heard the musicians put their own sound into an American ceremony. ESPN play-by-play announcer Joe Buck said on the broadcast that it gave him "chills." On a Reddit thread sharing the video, one viewer called it a "great touch" for Monday night football. Another, posting in a Chicago forum, said the performance felt fitting for the city.
One response under ESPN's Facebook post gave the occasion a personal meaning. A commenter who said he was born in Mexico, immigrated to the United States and served in the military wrote: "This gives me the chills." His account was one individual reaction, but it captured why hearing the U.S. anthem played by a Chicago mariachi group resonated with some viewers.
🇲🇽🎺 ¡México sonó en la NFL!
— RETO diario (@retodiariomx) September 29, 2026
El Mariachi Herencia de México interpretó el himno de Estados Unidos antes del Eagles vs. Bears en el Soldier Field de Chicago. 🏈
Una presentación con sello mexicano que se llevó los reflectores.#NFL #Mariachi #México
📹 Redes sociales pic.twitter.com/1mPxZUqCM3
Others objected to the musical choice. The U.S. Sun reported comments from viewers who said the anthem sounded unfamiliar in a mariachi arrangement or preferred a more traditional rendition. One asked why a mariachi band was on the broadcast; another said, "Some things don't need reinventing." The comments show criticism of the performance, though a selection of social media posts cannot establish how the audience as a whole felt about it.
The group at the center of that conversation has deep roots in Chicago. Mariachi Herencia de México grew out of the Mariachi Heritage Foundation, which brought music instruction into the city's public schools. Its 2017 debut album, Nuestra Herencia, was recorded by students from Chicago's immigrant neighborhoods and earned a Latin Grammy nomination. Founder César Maldonado said then that mariachi was "completely relevant to Chicago's growing Mexican and Mexican American communities."
The ensemble has since become a touring group with two Latin Grammy nominations. Its official website describes its 14 musicians as representatives of a bicultural generation in the United States. The band released Viva La Música in 2025.
🏈🎺 ¡Mariachi mexicano hace historia en la NFL!
— Tres PM (@trespm) September 29, 2026
El Mariachi Herencia de México interpretó el himno nacional de Estados Unidos previo al duelo entre Chicago Bears y Philadelphia Eagles en el Soldier Field.
La presentación formó parte de las actividades por el Mes de la Herencia… pic.twitter.com/ctLz8qhiuA
Monday's appearance was a new milestone at a familiar venue. Mariachi Herencia de México performed at halftime during the Bears' 2024 Latino Heritage Month game at Soldier Field. This time, the musicians played the anthem before kickoff, as the Bears hosted the Eagles on national television. Chicago went on to win 27-7.
The anthem opened the Bears' "Vamos Bears" celebration, which also featured a halftime presentation by Chicago singer and actor Sandra Delgado, music around the stadium and two local high school students serving as honorary captains for the coin toss. Before the game, Delgado told CBS Chicago that the mariachi performance would be "beautiful and meaningful."
For a band that began in Chicago classrooms, playing at midfield was an achievement regardless of the argument that followed online, particularly in a time where Latinos are being punished by ICE deportation campaigns.
