AFL announces Snoop Dogg, record crowds ahead of 2025 Grand Final
The AFL has served up a pre-finals flex after being hammered with claims from the NRL it's Australia's No.1 sport, declaring one in every 21 Australians is a club member while confirming global music icon Snoop Dogg would be the entertainment headliner for the grand final.
AFL officials also confirmed that more than seven million people had attended games for the third time ever, with two rounds still to go, having opened with a new record in round 1 and another crowd record at Gather Round in Adelaide.
Luring music megastar Snoop Dogg for an MCG debut at the grand final in September comes after epic performances from first Robbie Williams, then Kiss and Katy Perry on the AFL's biggest day.
Snoop Dogg vowed to make his performance 'unforgettable'.
'It's an absolute honour to be hitting the stage at the AFL Grand Final — it's one of the biggest events on the Aussie calendar,' the music megastar said.
'Can't wait to bring the energy and celebrate with the fans. Let's make it unforgettable.'
US rapper Snoop Dogg will be rocking the MCG on AFL grand final day. Picture: Odd Andersen / AFP)
It comes after a performance from homegrown music star The Kid Laroi at last year's NRL grand final received mixed reviews.
Australian Rugby League Commission chair Peter V'landys has gone on the attack throughout 2025, spruiking his code as Australia's No.1 and citing TV metrics with hopes his next TV deal surpasses the Australian record $4.5bn agreement the AFL signed in 2022.
'They always look down their noses at us in rugby league,' he said recently of the AFL.
'They always think that we are the poor cousin. All of a sudden this poor cousin has become wealthy and we have overtaken them in audience.'
But the AFL has countered with its release of crowd details that showed with two rounds still to be played, and one extra game, 7,002,277 fans have attended matches so far.
Last weekend's average AFL crowd was in excess of 33,000. Only one NRL fixture, the clash between the Bulldogs and Warriors, had a crowd in excess of 25,000.
The AFL also spruiked that nine clubs had broken their all-time membership record this year as the cumulative total across all 18 teams hit a new a record of 1,324,504 members, which equates to one in 21 Australians being an AFL club member.
On top of the huge crowd and membership numbers, which dwarf the NRL considerably, the confirmation of rap mogul Snoop Dogg continues the recent performances of some of the world's biggest stars on AFL grand final day.
AFL crowds are hitting record levels still. Picture: Brenton Edwards
Snoop Dogg has been a sensation for more than three decades and in recent years has taken his talents to the NFL Super Bowl and the Paris Olympics.
'The AFL grand final is the biggest event on the Australian sporting calendar – and this year, it just got a whole lot bigger,' AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon said.
'Snoop Dogg is a pioneer, a performer, and a true entertainer. He's played to packed stadiums around the world – but we think 100,000 fans at the MCG might just be his most iconic crowd yet.
'We want grand final day to be an unforgettable celebration of footy – and beyond the four quarters of the match, a celebration of culture, energy, and entertainment. Snoop fits that brief better than anyone.
'From Long Beach to the biggest stage in Australian sport – Snoop Dogg is coming to the MCG for the Telstra pre-game entertainment, and we're ready to make history.'
Originally published as AFL crowds surge past seven million, memberships hit record and now global music icon Snoop Dogg will headline grand final entertainment
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