Peking Duk, Grinspoon & Sneaky Sound System Lead NFL Kickoff Festival Line-up

Melbourne Park will transform into a three-day celebration of Australian live music, culture, and the NFL next month.

Peking Duk, Sneaky Sound System(Credit: Supplied, Nicole Cooper)

Last month, it was announced that the National Football League (NFL) – the professional American football league – would take over Melbourne Park with its inaugural Kickoff Festival.

The festival, featuring live music and entertainment for all, coincides with a match between the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on the morning of Friday, 11 September.

Today, the roster of homegrown artists soundtracking three days of NFL madness has been announced. Festival favourites Peking Duk and indie-pop star Kita Alexander will kick off proceedings on Thursday, 10 September. Rising rockers Public Figures launch the excitement on match day, along with Aussie music icons Grinspoon and the party-starting Hot Dub Time Machine.

On Saturday, 12 September, the NFL Kickoff Festival concludes with a performance by electronic music pioneers Sneaky Sound System. More acts are set to perform across the three-day celebrations; they’ll be revealed in the coming weeks.

“With less than a month to go until the NFL Melbourne Game and Kickoff Festival, the excitement is continuing to build, and this first music line-up announcement is another milestone on the road to September,” said Charlotte Offord, NFL General Manager – Australia & New Zealand.

Offord continued, “We’ve brought together an exciting mix of Australian artists to help create a festival atmosphere that matches the scale and energy of this historic moment for the NFL in Australia.

“The Kickoff Festival is where football, music and culture come together. From the moment fans walk through the gates, they’ll be immersed in the excitement of game week, with non-stop entertainment, unforgettable experiences and a festival atmosphere unlike anything we’ve ever delivered in Australia.”

Tickets to Kickoff Festival are now available via Ticketmaster. Children aged 13 and under will be able to enter for free, as long as they’re with an accompanying adult with an adult ticket.

Described as an “immersive American-style football takeover,” the event – presented in partnership with Live Nation and American Express – will host three days of music concerts starring Australian artists and DJs. In addition to music, the festival will feature NFL exhibits, flag clinics, NFL merchandise, activations, an American food village, and more.