Kylie MinogueKylie Minogue is coming home: the Australian pop music sensation has been confirmed to headline this year’s Telstra Pre-Game Entertainment at the Toyota AFL Grand Final.
On Sunday evening (29 March), 7 News Melbourne reporter Mitch Cleary took to X (formerly known as Twitter) and claimed that the AFL had secured Kylie Minogue for the pre-game entertainment headline slot, writing that the official news would land this week.
A day later, and the news is official. “The AFL Grand Final at Melbourne’s one and only, forever iconic MCG? Yes please,” Kylie shared in a statement. “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.”
AFL CEO Andrew Dillon added that Kylie has been on the organisation’s wish list “for a long time.”
“The Toyota AFL Grand Final is the biggest event on the Australian sporting calendar - and this year, we welcome home an Australian icon,” Dillon said.
He continued, “Kylie has been on our wish list for a long time, and there is no better artist [to] headline the performance prior to our biggest game of the season.
“Our AFL team recently joined Kylie at the MCG for the Grand Final content shoot, and you could already feel the excitement for September building.”
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Mushroom Group CEO Matt Gudinski echoed Dillon’s statement, revealing that the record company has “tried for some time” to make today’s news a reality.
“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,” Gudinski said.
He added, “We’ve tried for some time to make this a reality, and now is the right time! Mushroom is so excited to welcome Kylie home to perform at Australia’s biggest day in sport at the MCG. We’re working closely with Kylie’s team to create and produce what will be one of the most memorable Telstra Pre-Game Entertainment shows yet.”
Telstra executive Brent Smart concluded, “We love delivering unforgettable fan experiences and can’t wait to welcome our Queen of Pop to take the stage in her hometown.
“Kylie is a true Australian icon whose music has brought people together for decades, and we know she will deliver an incredible performance for fans around the country. This marks our sixth year of hosting the Telstra Pre-Game Entertainment, and Kylie will no doubt make this year one to remember.”
Further announcements about who will also be performing at this year’s AFL Grand Final will be revealed in the coming months.
Snoop Dogg headlined the 2025 AFL Pre-Game Entertainment, where he was accompanied by special guests Tash Sultana, Baker Boy, and Jessica Mauboy. Previous years have seen headline performances by Katy Perry, KISS, and Robbie Williams, the latter of whom was joined by Delta Goodrem on the big day.
Kylie toured Australia last March for her first headline shows Down Under since 2019, bringing her Tension Tour to arenas across the country.
