AFL set to lock in Aussie icon Kylie Minogue for grand final entertainment

Australian pop icon Kylie Minogue will perform at this year’s AFL grand final.

7NEWS chief AFL reporter Mitch Cleary exclusively revealed the 57-year-old will rock the MCG on the last day in September.

The big news comes fresh after the league confirmed the traditional 2.30pm start time for the next two years.

It had been reported that Minogue would only perform under lights, but she will headline the entertainment for the first time in her career.

An official announcement is expected in the next week.

It breaks a run of four-straight international acts with Snoop Dogg, KISS, Katy Perry and Robbie Williams the past four performers.

Meanwhile, the AFL declared there is “no compelling case” to stage a twilight or night grand final this season.

But the league will continue to weigh up the merits of a later ball-up as part of broader competition considerations ahead of the Tasmania Devils’ entry in 2028.

AFL Commission chair Craig Drummond confirmed the 2.30pm start time will remain for grand finals in 2026 and 2027.

“In the world that we’re now in, which is pretty uncertain, giving certainty to fans for a couple of years is a really sensible idea,” Drummond said on Sunday.

“We’d spoken a lot to our key stakeholders across the board and we didn’t find a compelling reason to make any change.”

Drummond and AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon wouldn’t be drawn on what would compel the league to shift the grand final start time.

But the door remains open for a change in 2028 and beyond.

“If it makes sense, of course, everything should always be on the table,” Drummond said.

“You’ve got to consider a whole range of stakeholders - not just one particular market or group of stakeholders.

“We are very focused on the fans and the quality of the footy product, but we’re not saying that in the future we wouldn’t look to reassess.”

The AFL Fans Association welcomed the decision to maintain a traditional grand final timeslot.

“This decision shows that when fans speak clearly, the AFL listens - and that must continue across all major decisions,” AFLFA president Ron Issko said.

The AFL has only staged two grand finals under lights - in 2020 (at the Gabba) and 2021 (Optus Stadium) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

- With AAP