The Australian Football League has confirmed that pop icon Kylie Minogue will perform at this year's grand final, ending a long pursuit of the Melbourne-born superstar. The pre-game entertainment will take place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in September, with Minogue expressing her excitement to return home for the event.
'As a Melburnian, I'm so excited to be coming home for the biggest day in the Aussie sporting calendar,' Minogue said. 'I'll not only be performing but I'll be one of 100,000 fans at the 'G' watching the wonder that is footy.'
The announcement comes after years of calls for the AFL to book Australian artists instead of international acts. Previous grand final performers have included Robbie Williams, Katy Perry, and Snoop Dogg, the latter drawing criticism for his misogynistic and homophobic lyrics. The infamous 2011 performance by Meat Loaf was also widely panned.
Matt Gudinski, chief executive of Mushroom Group which represents Minogue, praised the choice. 'Kylie is one of the most successful Australian artists of all time. She's not just a global superstar, she's an icon and an obvious choice to headline the 2026 Telstra pre-game entertainment.'
The AFL has also confirmed that the traditional 2:30pm timeslot will remain for the grand final, rather than moving to a twilight fixture as speculated. Minogue, who began her career in the late 1980s, has sold over 80 million records worldwide and won 18 ARIA Awards and two Grammys.
