Kylie Minogue fans left disappointed by pop icon's 'bloody shocking' AFL Grand Final pre-game performance: 'Horrendously bad'

Kylie Minogue left fans bitterly disappointed with her pre-game performance on Saturday ahead of the 2026 AFL Grand Final. 

The pop icon, 58, took to the stage at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) with a 20-minute set she is reportedly getting paid $3million for.

However, many viewers at home were left feeling let down by the hitmaker's 'horrendously bad' show, which opened with Love At First Sight.

'So far Kylie isn't really doing it for me,' one person wrote, while another added: 'Kylie doing karaoke versions of her own songs.'

'Kylie is an Aussie icon but this well this has been horrendously bad,' a third person added.

'This Kylie half time performance is bloody shocking she's not even singing,' another wrote.

'This pre show is very very ordinary. Band not playing at all and not sure if Kylie is a great choice,' one user commented.

'Like Kylie but sound not good,' added someone else, while one wrote: 'People have rose coloured glasses on. This isn't very good at all.'

Others appeared to have issues with the Padam Padam hitmaker's audio and the performance of her backup dancers.  

'Is this meant to sound like a backyard karaoke version of a Kylie concert?' one person wrote.

'Kylie is a great performer and the visuals are good. Dancers. But her sound is way off which we are judging it by. This is pretty average so far. Shame,' added another.

'Just me or her audio seems off?' commented one user, as someone else commented: 'Every single dancer is off time? Making Kylie look second class.'

However, some fans came to the defence of the Melbourne native. 

'Recency [sic] bias be damned, this is the greatest pre-game performance of all time!' one person wrote.

'Gotta say Kylie is killing it at the pre-game entertainment! Absolutely brilliant!!' another commented.

'Anyone saying this is bad needs to learn how to have fun,' a third noted.

'KYLIE KILLING IT AT THE #AFLGF,' one user said.

Kylie opened her set with Love At First Sight, followed by Your Eyes, On A Night Like This, and her 2000 hit Spinning Around. 

She was also joined by a plethora of guests on stage, sharing the spotlight with Australian composer William Barton, and then later The Inspired Unemployed for her hit song The Loco-Motion. 

G Flip returned to the stage after their opening act to join Kylie for a duet of her 2023 hit Padam Padam, with DJ Dom Dolla then adding his personal touch to the final track of the set, Can't Get You Out Of My Head. 

Ahead of her pre-game performance, Kylie revealed she felt 'nervous' about her spectacular, which featured around 100 dancers and her biggest hits.

'I am nervous, excited right now. I am all those things,' she said during a press conference in Melbourne on Friday, according to News 24.

'When it comes to just about to go on, maybe I will feel right at home. I don't know.' 

Kylie has been rehearsing at the MCG all week for the footy gig, looking far younger than her years as she donned a series of fashionable looks.

At one stage, Kylie reached death-defying heights as she was lifted high above the stadium on a small podium while going through her setlist.

Rigged up with a safety harness to prevent her from plunging to the ground below, Kylie launched into a high-octane song and dance routine.

Aided by a whole team of helpers, she later changed into a distressed shirt dress, this time with the words 'I'm home' emblazoned across the front.

The Padam Padam hitmaker appeared before a sell-out crowd at the 100,000-seat MCG.

Her 20-minute gig is set to net the pint-sized pop star a hefty payday.

Kylie is believed to be walking home with a whopping $3million for her highly anticipated show.

Her enormous payday was reported by New Idea, after the AFL recently confirmed that Kylie was on their 'wish list' for some time.