Snoop Dogg’s AFL Grand Final performance is drawing intense criticism after a player’s suspension for homophobic comments.
Snoop Dogg is set to headline Australia’s biggest sporting event next year, but his upcoming AFL Grand Final performance has ignited controversy following Adelaide Crows player Izak Rankine’s suspension for using a homophobic slur.
The announcement of the Hip-Hop icon’s appearance at the 2025 AFL Grand Final drew sharp criticism from LGBTQI+ advocates and some in the public, who questioned the league’s decision to feature an artist with a history of misogynistic lyrics and past homophobic remarks.
The backlash intensified after Rankine was handed a four-game ban on Thursday for using a slur during a match.
AFL CEO Andrew Dillon addressed the growing criticism, defending the league’s choice and promising the performance would be suitable for all ages.
“We cannot vouch for every lyric in every song ever written or performed by any artist who has appeared on our stage — Australian or international,” Dillon said.
“What I can say is that our pre-match entertainment on AFL Grand Final day will be family-friendly and consistent with the audience at the MCG and those watching the broadcast.”
Dillon emphasized that the decision to book Snoop Dogg was based on who he is now, not who he was.
“It is also important to remember that we engaged Snoop Dogg in 2025 as the person he is today,” he said. “He has spoken publicly about his past, he has changed, and today he is a grandfather, philanthropist, he helps rehabilitate youth and is a global entertainer who has performed at both the Super Bowl and the Olympic Closing Ceremony to audiences of more than 100 million people.”
Snoop Dogg will take the stage at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on September 27, 2025, as the headline act for the Telstra Pre-Game Entertainment.
It will be his first live performance at the MCG and is expected to draw a crowd of 100,000 attendees and millions more watching on television.
Snoop Dogg was previously banned from entering Australia in 2007 due to his criminal record, but was later granted a visa and allowed to perform after 2008.
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