Australia’s Own Pop Princess Kylie Minogue Is Headlining The 2026 AFL Grand Final

This morning the Australian Football League announced that Australia's own pop princess Kylie Minogue will take to the stage this September, headlining the pre-game entertainment at the 2026 AFL Grand Final.

"The Toyota AFL Grand Final is the biggest event on the Australian sporting calendar—and this year, we welcome home an Australian icon," AFL CEO Andrew Dillon says.

Kylie Mingogue At The AFL Grand Final: Everything We Know So Far

While few details about Minogue's pre-game performance have been confirmed, we do know that it will mark her first-ever AFL Grand Final appearance, promising to deliver one of the biggest pre-game shows in AFL history.

After loud calls from footy fans in recent years for local talent to headline the gameday performance, Minogue feels like the perfect fit for the 2026 grand final.

"As a Melburnian, I'm so excited to be coming home for the biggest day in the Aussie sporting calendar. I'll not only be performing, but I'll be one of 100,000 fans at the 'G, watching the wonder that is footy," Minogue says.

When And Where Is The 2026 AFL Grand Final? 

The AFL Grand Final will be held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 26 September. 

While the AFL had been toying with the idea of a twilight match, and Minogue had reportedly stated this was her preference for a performance, the league has now decided to stick to a daytime bounce, and Minogue is still in. 

The league has confirmed that the game will start at 2:30pm AEST. While performance times are yet to be confirmed, last year's pre-game headliner, Snoop Dog, started at 1:43pm (with the same game time), so it's safe to assume 2026 will be similar. 

How To Get Tickets To The 2026 Afl Grand Final

No information on ticketing or ticket release dates has been announced yet. The AFL has stated that this will be communicated later in the year, with club members and AFL members to receive first access to all finals tickets. 

We'll make sure to keep you in the loop as more information comes out. 

Past AFL Grand Final Performers

Over the past decade, the AFL Grand Final has seen hosted both international and home-grown talent, headliners include: 

2025: Snoop Dogg

2024: Katy Perry

2023: KISS

2022: Robbie Williams

2021: Birds of Tokyo 

2020: DMA'S, Cub Sport, and Sheppard

2019: Paul Kelly

2018: The Black Eyed Peas

2017: The Killers

2016: Sting

Image: Kylie Minogue | Instagram