Amy Shark, The Screaming Jets and More Join NRL Grand Final Tribute to Jai Arrow
The 2026 NRL Grand Final will now feature a major Australian music lineup after weeks of uncertainty over the event’s pre-game entertainment.
Singer-songwriter Amy Shark will headline a group of Australian performers appearing before Sunday’s grand final at Sydney’s Accor Stadium. The lineup includes members of The Screaming Jets, along with Grinspoon, Peking Duk and Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers.
The performance will form part of a tribute to former South Sydney Rabbitohs player Jai Arrow, who has been diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
Amy Shark Leads the Grand Final Tribute
The musicians are expected to perform “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” the Gerry and the Pacemakers song that became closely associated with Liverpool FC.
The song also carries a recent connection to Arrow. It was played as he led the Rabbitohs onto the field during their regular-season finale against the Roosters earlier this month.
Arrow is expected to take part in a lap of honour around Accor Stadium while the musicians perform.
The tribute is scheduled for roughly 20–25 minutes before kickoff, with reports putting the start around 7:05–7:10 p.m. AEDT on Sunday, October 4.
The Screaming Jets Return to the Grand Final Stage
The appearance is particularly notable for Newcastle rock band The Screaming Jets, who have become one of the most recognizable names in Australian rock.
Amy Shark is also no stranger to the NRL’s biggest night, having previously performed at the Grand Final in 2020. Grinspoon appeared at the event in 2004.
Peking Duk and Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers round out the newly revealed Australian lineup.
According to reports, the performers’ appearance fees will be donated toward causes supporting people affected by motor neurone disease.
Why the Entertainment Lineup Became a Major Story
The announcement follows weeks of uncertainty surrounding the Grand Final’s traditional pre-match entertainment.
Australian singer Tones And I had been linked to the event, but negotiations ultimately fell through. Her management said existing commitments while she was touring in the United States with Macklemore prevented her from accepting the offer when it was made in September.
The uncertainty prompted NRL executive chairman Peter V’landys to suggest that the league could proceed without a conventional musical performance.
V’landys later teased that there would be a surprise during the pre-match period, saying the entertainment would involve an approximately 11-minute performance before later indicating that it would begin earlier than initially suggested.
The eventual lineup gives the Grand Final a distinctly Australian musical identity while putting the focus on Arrow’s tribute.
When Is the 2026 NRL Grand Final?
The Sydney Roosters will face the Newcastle Knights in the 2026 NRL Grand Final at Accor Stadium on Sunday, October 4.
NRL’s official Grand Final information lists the match as part of a full day of events at the stadium, with international broadcast coverage also planned, including Fox Sports 2 in the United States.
For fans following the event from the U.S., the Arrow tribute is likely to be one of the most distinctive moments surrounding this year’s championship game — combining a major Australian music lineup with a tribute to a player whose career has recently taken an unexpected turn.
