A Melbourne homecoming to remember
Kylie Minogue just turned the Melbourne Cricket Ground into her own personal concert venue, and honestly? The vibes were immaculate. Headlining the AFL Grand Final pre-game show on Saturday, the Aussie pop icon gave us a 20-minute masterclass in performance art in front of over 100,000 screaming fans. Despite the rain trying to dampen the mood earlier in the day, she showed up and absolutely ate.
The setlist and the spectacles
She opened with a nostalgic video montage of her childhood before taking the stage to belt out "Love at First Sight." Throughout the set, she cycled through bangers like "In Your Eyes," "All the Lovers," and "Spinning Around."
But the real main character energy arrived during the collaborations. Kalkadunga songman William Barton joined her for a dramatic orchestral version of "Confide in Me," and G Flip jumped back on stage to deliver a rock-infused take on the viral hit "Padam Padam."
For the grand finale, she pulled a total plot twist. After a fake-out "The Loco-Motion" closer, she emerged from a giant, bedazzled "KYLIE" football and literally soared through the air, closing the show with a "Can’t Get You Out of My Head" remix by Melbourne DJ Dom Dolla. It was, say less, a total moment.
Why it matters
Kylie is the first solo Australian act to headline the Grand Final since 2019, marking a return to homegrown talent after years of international headliners like Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg. With 80 million records sold and a career spanning four decades, she proved once again why she's a global legend.
