Will the real Bad Bunny please stand up?
A lookalike contest for Puerto Rican rapper and singer Bad Bunny drew a crowd to the Hub on Saturday, as spectators gathered in Roberto Clemente Plaza to watch dozens of doppelgängers compete for the top prize.
The event was organized by Bronx Native in collaboration with 7th Street Burger, which is preparing to open its first Bronx location on the corner of 149th Street and Third Avenue.
More than 100 spectators packed the plaza as 28 contestants — some traveling from as far as Brooklyn and New Jersey — showed off their best Bad Bunny impressions for a chance to win $500.
The contest is one of many celebrity lookalike competitions that have recently popped up across New York City, including contests for John F. Kennedy Jr. and Timothée Chalamet — the latter of whom even made a surprise appearance at his own event.
While the real Bad Bunny did not appear in the Bronx, several contestants recreated some of the artist’s most recognizable looks, including the Prada suit and traditional pava hat he wore to the Met Gala and a cream monochromatic outfit inspired by his Super Bowl Halftime Show appearance.
Each contestant had less than two minutes to win over the crowd with their likeness and dance moves to hits like “Yo Perreo Sola” and “EoO.”
After the initial round, contestants were narrowed down to five finalists who performed once more for the crowd. Audience screams ultimately determined which three would move on to the final round.
Bronx contestant James arrived wearing a dark suit and pava hat, drawing shouts from people on the street as he walked toward the plaza.
“Bad Bunny! ¿Dónde tú ‘tá? Where you performing?” passersby yelled, giving him confidence before stepping onto the stage.
The winner was Jersey City resident Justin Conillas, who drove about 45 minutes to compete.
“I can’t believe I look like Bad Bunny,” Conilla told the Bronx Times. “People tell me all the time, but I didn’t get to prove it until now.”
Another standout was Brooklyn contestant Kenya, who dressed in a red top, white sailor-style pants, a pava hat and a fake beard to recreate Bad Bunny’s look from his “No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí” residency in Puerto Rico, where he performed “Preciosa” alongside Marc Anthony. Her performance was so popular that judges created a second-place prize of $250.
“When I dress like this, they think I’m Bad Bunny himself,” Kenya said.
The event drew spectators from across the city who saw a viral flyer on Instagram and gathered behind barricades for a closer look — a rare opportunity for many residents, given the plaza’s closure over the past year.
“The Hub is very special to me,” said Amaurys Grullon, owner of Bronx Native. “I grew up here, and we wanted to do something that was impactful, that was paying homage, and just representing someone who is making everybody so proud, like Bad Bunny.”
Roberto Clemente Plaza has been closed to the public since last July following persistent quality-of-life complaints. The plaza had been described as an “open-air drug market,” where public opioid use was common even as commuters relied on the seating while waiting for one of the many bus lines that pass through the commercial corridor.
“I think the plaza should be open to the public at all times,” Grullon said. “We know there’s a couple of issues, but we told them, ‘We need to do this in the plaza. We have an open space. Why are we not utilizing it?’”
Pedro Suarez, executive director of the Third Avenue Business Improvement District, said the event was successful due to coordination with city agencies and service providers, but the plaza cannot fully reopen because of ongoing drug use in the area, which he said had spiked last week as temperatures warmed.
“I continue to recommend that the plaza only be used for scheduled, coordinated public events in partnership with city agencies and the NYPD,” said Suarez in an email to the Bronx Times.
“I strongly believe that Robert Clemente Plaza warrants a permanent low-rise fence with strict operating hours that the BID can help manage.”
Reach Marina Samuel at msamuel@schnepsmedia.com. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
