A State of Origin great has called on the NRL to move quickly to secure a global pop star for this year’s grand final entertainment, with a lucky break making the development a real possibility.
Former Brisbane Broncos premiership winner Corey Parker urged the league to target British singer Olivia Dean, who is set to be in Australia at the exact time of the season decider.
‘Olivia Dean, touring Aus at the same time as the NRL Grand Final,’ Parker wrote.
‘That’s who the NRL need to be going after for their pre-match entertainment.
‘Make it happen @NRL’
The timing is ideal. Dean’s newly announced 2026 Australia and New Zealand tour places her directly in the NRL grand final window, with the decider traditionally held in early October.
Corey Parker (pictured) has urged the NRL to target Olivia Dean as its grand final entertainer while she tours Australia in October
Parker says the timing is perfect for NRL to secure the pop phenomenon (pictured), who is already booked to perform Down Under at the time of the year’s biggest game
Olivia Dean’s 2026 tour dates place her in Sydney days before the NRL grand final at Accor Stadium
She is scheduled to perform in Melbourne on October 5 and 6 at Rod Laver Arena, before heading to Sydney for back-to-back shows at Qudos Bank Arena on October 9 and 10.
Those dates fall within days of the NRL grand final at Accor Stadium on October 4, creating a clear opportunity for the league to secure her as its headline act.
Dean then continues her tour with a Brisbane show on October 13 at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, followed by an Auckland performance on October 17.
Her tour has already seen additional shows added in Melbourne and Sydney due to demand, placing her in major arenas across the same cities that host the code’s biggest audiences.
The push comes after the AFL locked in one of the biggest names in Australian music history for its own showpiece event.
Kylie Minogue has been confirmed as the headline act for the 2026 AFL grand final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, marking her first appearance on the league’s biggest stage.
The AFL described Minogue as a long-time target for the event.
‘Kylie has been on our wish list for a long time, and there is no better artist for headline the performance prior to our biggest game of the season,’ AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said.
Kylie Minogue is locked in as the headline entertainment for the 2026 AFL grand final
The AFL has finally secured Kylie Minogue after years of chasing her
Minogue said: ‘The AFL grand final at Melbourne’s one and only, forever iconic MCG? Yes please!
‘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.’
Her selection continues a run of high-profile AFL entertainment acts, following Snoop Dogg, who headlined the 2025 grand final.
Minogue’s appointment also carries significant weight given her global profile, with more than 80 million records sold, billions of streams, and multiple major awards including Grammys and BRIT Awards.
The AFL has positioned the pre-game entertainment as a central part of grand final day, staging performances in front of more than 100,000 fans at the MCG.
Snoop Dogg’s AFL grand final show added international appeal as the league targets global music icons for the event
Teddy Swims performed at the 2025 NRL grand final despite an illness scare, delivering a high-profile set at Accor Stadium (pictured)
In contrast, the 2025 NRL Grand Final featured Teddy Swims, who performed a set including Bad Dreams, The Door, a cover of AC/DC’s TNT, and Losing Control at Accor Stadium.
Swims took the stage despite an illness scare in the lead-up to the match, performing in front of a full house in Sydney.
Parker received some support for the idea of Dean playing the NRL Grand Final.
‘Fantastic idea. I’ll also be seeing her in concert in Sydney five days after the NRL Grand Final,’ one follower posted.
‘Olivia is great, I love her music,’ added another.
But there were plenty of detractors as well, saying Dean lacks the energy to hype up a rugby league crowd.
‘Olivia Dean is amazing but don’t think it’s the right type of music for an NRL game,’ one fan posted.
‘Not sure putting everyone to sleep before kick off is what the NRL want Corey,’ added another.
