Pop Star Kylie Minogue Begins Elaborate Rehearsals For 2026 AFL Grand Final

Kylie Minogue has begun rehearsing a 20-minute performance for the 2026 AFL Grand Final at Melbourne’s 100,000-seat Melbourne Cricket Ground. The elaborate production features a raised stage, dancers with feathered props, dramatic stairs and a cage-like structure, with Australian musician G Flip also joining the rehearsal. AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon said Minogue’s selection had attracted broad support, contrasting it with criticism of the previous year’s entertainment. Her booking also highlights turmoil surrounding the rival NRL Grand Final, which reportedly will proceed without a headline musical act after negotiations with Tones and I collapsed. Reports have suggested Minogue could earn about A$3 million for the performance, though that figure has not been officially confirmed.
Minogue is scheduled to headline the Telstra Pre-Game Entertainment at the 2026 AFL Grand Final between Fremantle and the Brisbane Lions. The MCG lists the entertainment from 1:30 p.m., ahead of the 2:30 p.m. match start.
AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon said Minogue’s performance had received “an all-time, 100 per cent” backing, contrasting that response with the controversy surrounding Snoop Dogg’s grand-final appearance the previous year.
Dillon said the AFL had recorded its highest aggregate attendance and highest average attendance over more games in 2026, extending a run of four consecutive record-attendance seasons.
The AFL said Minogue had been on its performance “wish list” for some time before her booking was confirmed; the reported A$3 million fee came from New Idea and has not been officially confirmed by the league.
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