The AFL have announced Australian pop-rock stars The Veronicas and award-winning electronic duo Peking Duk will take the stage in celebration of the first-ever annual AFL 'Gather Round', starting Round 5 on Thursday, April 13.
Raised in Brisbane and currently situated in Los Angeles, The Veronicas are made up by twin sisters Jessica and Lisa Origliasso, who exploded in the pop scene back in 2005 with their debut release "The Secret Life Of...", featuring a number of critically acclaimed hits such as '4EVER', 'Everything I'm Not', and 'When It All Falls Apart'.
Since then they've had 12 top-10 hits in Australia, with three songs going No.1, while reaching over 500 million streams and 200 million YouTube views. They will perform at Adelaide Oval on Saturday, April 15 before the clash between Port Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs.
Despite touring alongside pop legends like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, the Origliasso sisters made it clear just how thrilled they are to headline the historic event.
โWe are so excited to be celebrating and bringing music to such an iconic sporting event. We can't wait to hit the field with you all,โ they said in a league statement.
The first act of the round however, will take place on Thursday, April 13 when Peking Duk perform at Adelaide Oval before the Adelaide Crows take on Carlton.
Originating in Canberra, Peking Duk are one of Australia's most popular dance music duos. Led by the talented beat-makers and producers Adam Hyde and Reuben Styles, the two have entertained audiences for over a decade with their atmospheric sound and heavy beats capable of generating a lively mosh pit.
With numerous platinum records like 'High', 'Take Me Over', 'Stranger' and 'Fire', the pair have established themselves as artistic Australian icons and will be joined on stage by two more Australian artists, Safia band member Ben Woolner, and folk singer-songwriter Julia Stone.
The dance duo also expressed their excitement ahead of the footy festival.
โIt's an honour to be playing our music for AFL Gather Round. We'll be bringing some very special guests; Ben from SAFIA and Julia Stone and we can't wait to share what we've cooked for all the legends heading to the game," they said.
A number of other Aussie creators will also entertain the crowd throughout the weekend, with DJs including Yo! Mafia, Emma Peters, Matt Sammut, Jesse, Louis F and Marc B all scheduled to perform at various times across all nine games at Adelaide Oval, Norwood Oval, and Adelaide Hills.
The AFL's Executive General Manager Customer and Commercial, Kylie Rogers, spoke about the excitement of hosting such an all-star cast ahead of the historic event.
โThe AFL is proud to have an incredible line up of award-winning artists in The Veronicas and Peking Duk along with six of the best Aussie DJs entertain fans as part of our Gather Round celebrations,โ Ms Rogers said.
โNot only do we have a host of amazing matches for fans to get excited about, but we have heaps of free family friendly activities that fans of all ages can enjoy, so we hope to see as many people there to soak up all the atmosphere.โ
Gather Round, which is held across Round 5 of the 2023 season, will open between Adelaide and Carlton on the Thursday night, with the final match to be played between St Kilda and Collingwood on the Sunday afternoon at the same venue.
