Story perspectives

NRL Cancels Grand Final Entertainment, Redirects $1M Budget

By Drooid · Sep 24, 2026, 10:22 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Peter V'landys cancelled the pre-match entertainment for the 2026 NRL Grand Final.
Tones and I withdrew after a prior commitment with Macklemore in the United States.
Negotiations stalled over whether she would perform her 2019 hit “Dance Monkey.”
The NRL will redirect the $1 million entertainment budget to junior rugby league programs.
V'landys said the 11-minute slot would cost about $90,000 per minute, roughly $1 million total.

History

Historical Context

Barcelona’s July 25 1992 Olympic opening ceremony, staged at dusk and costing 2.8 billion pesetas (€16.8 million), drew an estimated 3.5 billion TV viewers and sparked criticism of lavish spending. That controversy created a lasting debate over costly sports spectacles, which today frames NRL chief Peter V’landys’s decision to cancel the 2026 Grand Final’s $1 million entertainment slot.

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Story summary

Peter V'landys cancelled the pre-match entertainment for the 2026 NRL Grand Final.
Tones and I withdrew after a prior commitment with Macklemore in the United States.
Negotiations stalled over whether she would perform her 2019 hit “Dance Monkey.”
The NRL will redirect the $1 million entertainment budget to junior rugby league programs.
V'landys said the 11-minute slot would cost about $90,000 per minute, roughly $1 million total.

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