Kylie Minogue to Headline AFL Grand Final Entertainment in Melbourne Homecoming
Get ready, Melbourne! The AFL has finally secured a true Aussie icon, Kylie Minogue, to grace the stage at this year’s highly anticipated Grand Final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). After years of the league pursuing the global superstar, a deal has been struck, promising a spectacular musical performance to accompany the season’s ultimate showdown.
Minogue, a proud Melburnian, expressed her sheer delight at the prospect. “The AFL Grand Final at Melbourne’s one and only, forever iconic MCG? Yes please!” she declared. “As a Melburnian, I’m so excited to be coming home for the biggest day in the Aussie sporting calendar.”
AFL Chief Executive, Andrew Dillon, echoed the sentiment, confirming that Minogue has long been a top pick for the league’s Grand Final entertainment wishlist. “There is no better artist to headline the performance prior to our biggest game of the season,” Dillon stated. He added that the AFL team recently joined Kylie at the MCG for a content shoot, and the buzz for September was already palpable.
Grand Final Timing: Certainty for Fans Until 2027
Adding to the excitement, the AFL has also confirmed that the traditional afternoon Grand Final slot will remain for the 2026 and 2027 seasons, kicking off at 2:30 PM. This decision aims to provide fans and stakeholders with much-needed certainty, despite ongoing discussions about potentially shifting the game to a twilight or evening slot in the future.
New AFL Chairman, Craig Drummond, acknowledged that while a reassessment of the timing might occur after 2027, the current focus is on ensuring a consistent and enjoyable experience for fans. “We are very focused, as we said, on the fans, on the footy, the quality of the footy product, but not saying that in the future, we wouldn’t look to reassess,” Drummond commented. “But at this point in time, we think it’s really important to give our stakeholders certainty, and that’s why two years, we think, makes eminently good sense.”
A Pop Princess Returns Home
Kylie Minogue, affectionately known as the “Princess of Pop,” is an Australian treasure with a career spanning decades and continents. Her illustrious career encompasses chart-topping hits as a singer and songwriter, as well as success as an actor. Her accolades include two Grammy Awards and four Brit Awards, solidifying her status as a global music icon.
This isn’t the first time Minogue has been in the spotlight for a high-profile event. She recently performed at billionaire Anthony Pratt’s birthday party this month. Her upcoming Grand Final performance sees her follow in the footsteps of other international stars who have headlined the AFL’s showpiece event. Notably, US pop star Katy Perry, who also performed at Pratt’s birthday in 2024, subsequently headlined the AFL decider in the same year.
A History of Global and Local Talent at the Grand Final
In recent years, the AFL has often opted for international acts to headline the Grand Final entertainment. Last year, US hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg delivered a performance that divided opinions, while other notable past headliners include KISS, Robbie Williams, Katy Perry, and The Killers.
However, Kylie Minogue’s selection marks a significant moment: she will be the first Australian to headline the Grand Final entertainment since Eskimo Joe and a host of other local artists performed in 2021. That year’s event was held at Optus Stadium in Perth due to COVID-19 lockdowns in Melbourne.
Planning for the Future: The 19th Team and Beyond
Dillon also indicated that the league will be reviewing the Grand Final timeslot ahead of the 2028 season, coinciding with the anticipated entry of the Tasmania Devils as the competition’s 19th team. The twilight slot, which was utilised for the 2021 Grand Final in Perth (resulting in a later start for viewers in eastern states), has been considered a preferred option by the league. This timing is often favoured to allow ample time for trophy presentations and post-game celebrations.
“It was more about that in 2028, we will have the 19th team, so we’ll have a fixture structure that is different, so there will be a lot of planning going into the entry of Tasmania and how the season structure is going to work, and Grand Final time might be part of that,” Dillon explained.
The 2020 and 2021 Grand Finals were notably held outside of the MCG due to COVID-19 restrictions in Victoria.
The 2024 AFL Grand Final is scheduled to take place on September 26th.
