Brief

Tones and I Performs Surprise Acoustic Show After NRL Grand Final Pre‑Game Plans Collapse

The pop‑up gig follows the collapse of talks to have the singer headline the NRL Grand Final pre‑game entertainment.

By Felo News Desk · Published Tue, 29 Sep 2026 09:36:18 GMT

Tones and I will perform an all‑ages acoustic show at the Echuca Hotel in Victoria on Friday, Oct. 2, after the National Rugby League (NRL) scrapped plans for her to headline the Grand Final pre‑show on Oct. 4. The pop‑up follows the breakdown of talks for the singer, born Toni Watson, to perform at the Grand Final, which the NRL initially said would have no pre‑game entertainment due to "creative differences" and had planned to redirect the performance fee to grassroots football.

The singer’s management said Watson was "recently approached" to perform the pre‑show, an offer presented on Sept. 5. Watson had a prior commitment with Macklemore in America and, according to the statement, could not accept the offer. Tickets for the Echuca gig go on sale on Sept. 30.

The pop‑up comes after the singer was due to headline the NRL Grand Final pre‑game entertainment, a slot that was later confirmed to be filled by a surprise act, though the NRL has not yet revealed the performer. Local acts such as Shannon Noll and Jon Stevens have offered themselves for the slot.

Watson, who rose to global fame with "Dance Monkey" in 2019, has won multiple ARIA Awards and remains one of Australia’s most successful contemporary artists. The pop‑up gig is scheduled alongside her headline slot at the Deni Ute Muster festival in Deniliquin, NSW, on Oct. 2‑3.

Key facts

Tones and I will perform an all‑ages acoustic show at the Echuca Hotel on Oct. 2 (billboard.com)
The NRL dropped her from the Grand Final pre‑show after talks collapsed (billboard.com)
Tickets for the Echuca gig go on sale on Sept. 30 (billboard.com)
Watson was approached to perform the pre‑show on Sept. 5 but could not accept due to prior commitments (billboard.com)

Background

The pop‑up gig follows the collapse of talks for the singer to headline the NRL Grand Final pre‑show on Oct. 4. The NRL initially said there would be no pre‑game entertainment due to "creative differences" and had planned to redirect the performance fee to grassroots football. The NRL later confirmed a surprise pre‑game act would take the field, but did not reveal the performer.

Why it matters

The singer’s pop‑up show provides an alternative entertainment option for fans after the NRL’s decision to drop her from the Grand Final pre‑show, and highlights the singer’s continued engagement with audiences amid scheduling conflicts.