Border restrictions mean that the entertainment will be dominated by Western Australian artists, with one act, Indigenous hip hop performer Baker Boy, travelling to Perth and quarantining to play at the AFL grand final at Perth’s Optus Stadium.Birds of Tokyo, the popular Perth rock band who have played at two previous grand finals, will perform during half-time of the game, which will be broadcast into an evening time slot in the eastern states.
The entertainment will carry the theme of “Australian anthems” - featuring well-known Australian songs. Other WA-based artists will be part of the pre-game line-up, which are set to be announced soon. Solo artist Baker Boy, who is based in Victoria, grew up in Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory and has become a ground-breaking Indigenous rapper who performs both in English and his native Yolnu Matha.
Baker Boy, 24, fills the AFL’s clear wish to have an Indigenous artist in their array of grand final performers. He was young Australian of the year in 2019 and has won several National Indigenous Music Awards.Birds of Tokyo played at both the 2013 and 2019 grand finals at the MCG - performing alongside Hunters and Collectors at the 2013 grand final in the pre-game music.
Eskimo Joe, formed in 1997 and a well-established alternative band, were formed in East Fremantle, the heartland of WA football.The format for the entertainment appears likely to be similar to last year’s Gabba’s grand final - when there were pre-game acts and then one primary half-time performance. The 5.
Tokyo, Eskimo…
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