The AFL has partnered with Seeker Agency to expand the Toyota AFL Grand Final Parade into a broader fan experience, with The Wiggles brought in to open this year’s event as part of a strategy to give Grand Final Friday a bigger entertainment moment.
The 2026 Parade kicked off at Melbourne Park with The Wiggles performing before joining the procession in their trademark Wiggles-branded Toyota HiLux Big Red Utes.
The opening performance was developed as part of the AFL’s ambition to turn the Parade into more than a traditional motorcade, creating reasons for fans and families to arrive earlier and engage with the event before the players make their way through Melbourne.
Seeker partnered with the AFL on the experience strategy and delivery, working across the opening performance, entertainment, precincts and fan engagement along the Parade route.
The agency said the strategy was informed by the scale and theatre of major international parades, with the aim of creating a clear opening moment that could work for fans attending in person as well as audiences watching the Parade through broadcast and social channels.
The Wiggles were selected to deliver that first moment, bringing a distinctly Australian entertainment act into the AFL’s Grand Final week programming.
Anthony and Lucia, Simon and Caterina, Tsehay and Evie, Lachy and John were joined by Dorothy the Dinosaur, Wags the Dog, Captain Feathersword and the Tree of Wisdom for the performance before joining the Parade.
The AFL is now looking to make the opening performance a recurring part of Grand Final Friday, potentially creating an annual moment around which fans can build anticipation.
The broader Parade experience was also expanded across Melbourne Park and Birrarung Marr, with live entertainment, food, big screens, AFL Play activations and dedicated Club Precincts designed to encourage fans to arrive earlier and stay throughout the morning.
The Parade travelled from John Cain Arena through Melbourne Park and Birrarung Marr, across William Barak Bridge and into Yarra Park before finishing at Footy Fest.
Peta Webster, general manager commercial at the AFL, said: “We wanted Grand Final Friday to feel like a celebration for the whole football community, not only supporters of the two teams playing the next day.”
“Music has become such an important part of major sporting events and The Wiggles gave us a uniquely Australian way to kick off the day. We’d love to see the opening performance become part of the tradition, with fans looking forward to who will open the Parade each year.”
Brad Hampel, founder and CEO of Seeker Group, said the agency’s role was to help the AFL build an experience that began before the Parade itself reached fans.
“The AFL had a clear ambition to keep raising the bar for fans and create an experience that starts well before the motorcade reaches them,” Hampel said.
“Our role was to help bring that ambition to life across the full fan journey, from the opening performance through to the precincts, screens and entertainment along the route.
“The aim was to create something people didn’t just watch, but actively wanted to be part of.”
