{
  "id": 9495867,
  "title": "Tones And I Will Miss NRL Grand Final Pre-Show Due to ‘Prior Commitment’ With Macklemore",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/tones-and-i-will-miss-nrl-grand-final-pre-show-due-to-prior",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-24T05:01:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Billboard",
    "slug": "billboard",
    "url": "https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/tones-and-i-nrl-grand-final-pre-show-1236346105/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Tones And I, a popular Australian singer, will miss the NRL Grand Final pre-show due to a scheduling clash with Macklemore. The league had initially planned for her to headline the event, which is set for Sunday, October 4 at Sydney's Accor Stadium. However, Tones had another commitment with Macklemore in America that made it impossible for her to accept the offer. The league decided to redirect the million-dollar budget towards sports programs for underprivileged children instead. Australian Rugby League Commission chair Peter V'landys expressed his preference for the latter option, stating that he would rather see kids play rugby league than spend a million dollars on a musical performance. This decision marks a shift away from artists sharing the spotlight at the grand final, a cherished tradition among music and sports enthusiasts in Australia.",
  "summary": "“Tones had a prior commitment with Macklemore in America and explored all avenues to make it work,” reps say. However, “nothing was signed or confirmed in writing.”",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}