The AFL and the Melbourne Cricket Club, manager of the MCG, confirm due to circumstances outside of our control there will be no previously advertised fireworks display from the roof of the MCG at halftime of tonight's 2022 Toyota AFL Premiership Season opening match between reigning Premiers Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs.
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause for fans attending tonight.
The Victorian Festival of Footy is in full swing in Yarra Park, with activities for families and fans having begun at 4:00pm. The live site is free and open to the public across all four matches at the MCG this week.
The Melbourne Football Club will officially unfurl their flag in a pre-match ceremony at 6:40pm, with the match commencing at 7:10pm local.
The expected crowd for tonight's match is approx. 70,000 fans, making it the largest attended sporting event in the country since last year's ANZAC Day match at the MCG - 78,113.
The 2021 ANZAC Day match is the largest attended sporting event in Australia since the covid pandemic hit, with the 2021 Toyota AFL Grand Final in Perth being second on that list with 61,118 fans attending.
The current highest attended home and away matches between Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs are 55,012 – Rd 3, 1962 at the MCG and 52,195 – Rd 17, 1961 at the MCG.