Grinspoon are about to have a very busy few months.
Australian rock veterans Grinspoon have been announced as part of the music program surrounding the NFL’s first ever regular season game in Australia, adding another major appearance to an already big end to the year for the band.
The AFL might have the MCG locked down most weekends, but on Friday, September 11th, the iconic stadium will belong to American football when the San Francisco 49ers take on the Los Angeles Rams (per Rolling Stone Australia).
While the game itself is obviously the main event, the NFL is turning Melbourne into a three day celebration, with Grinspoon among the Australian artists providing the soundtrack.
Kickoff Festival
The band will perform on Friday as part of the NFL’s Game Kickoff Festival, which takes over Melbourne Park from September 10th to 12th.
They’ll share the Friday program with Hot Dub Time Machine and Public Figures, while Peking Duk and Kita Alexander kick things off on Thursday and Sneaky Sound System close out the festival on Saturday.
Then there’s the small matter of the halftime show
The Jonas Brothers will headline the entertainment during the 49ers vs Rams clash, marking their appearance at one of the most significant sporting events ever staged in Australia.
“We couldn’t be more excited to perform at halftime during the NFL’s first-ever regular season game in Australia,” the Jonas Brothers say. “Playing at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground in front of such passionate Australian fans is an incredible honor. We can’t wait to be part of this historic moment and celebrate with everyone in the stadium and watching around the world.”
For Grinspoon, the NFL appearance is another entry in what is shaping up to be a seriously stacked end of the year, also performing at Good Things in December.
They’ll join a ridiculous lineup that includes Limp Bizkit, Simple Plan, Spiritbox, Polaris, The All-American Rejects, Bad Religion, Alexisonfire, Millencolin, Ministry and Chad Gray.
That means Grinspoon fans are getting two very different opportunities to catch the Australian rock institution in major festival settings, first alongside one of the world’s biggest sporting leagues, then as part of Australia’s biggest travelling alternative and heavy music festival.
NFL takeover
The NFL’s Melbourne takeover goes well beyond the concerts, Melbourne Park will host watch parties, flag football clinics, NFL retail pop-ups and an American style food village throughout the three days, fans will also be able to get up close with the Vince Lombardi Trophy and all 60 Super Bowl rings.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is scheduled to appear for a live Q&A on Thursday, while the festival will also screen the opening game of the 2026 NFL season, a Super Bowl LX rematch between defending champions the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots.
The main event arrives Friday, with the 49ers and Rams going head to head at the MCG and the Jonas Brothers taking the halftime stage.
The game and full halftime performance will be available to watch live on Netflix and the Seven Network in Australia.
From the MCG to Good Things, the end of the year is going to be huge for Grinspoon.
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