MELBOURNE, 3 November 2022: Icehouse one of Australia’s most iconic bands, transcending age groups with their hit songs, well-known and loved by audiences across generations, will perform at the Great Southern Land which will echo around the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) like never before as frontman Iva Davies performs with electrifying First Nations musician, Mitch Tambo, and leading Didgeridoo player, William Barton, to celebrate the Final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Striking at the heart of the event – bringing generations and cultures together – the celebrations before the start of the match will honour each team who participated in the World Cup and will weave together artists who represent multicultural Australia.
The second song of the evening, ICEHOUSE’S – We Can Get Together – will feature the remarkable sounds of Zimbabwean-born ‘First Lady of Soul and R&B’, Thando Sikwila, and 13-year-old second-generation Australian Indian, Janaki Easwar.
The celebrations – which will be broadcast to millions of people globally – will also incorporate instruments, dancers and sounds from around the world, bringing the iconic MCG to life before the cricket takes centre stage.
At the MCG announcement today, Iva Davies, founder, singer, multi-instrumentalist and composer of Icehouse said, “It’s an absolute honour to be asked to play at the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. As an Australian, anytime you get the chance to perform at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground you know it’s going to be special, and I can’t wait to celebrate the final with thousands of passionate fans.
“Working with Mitch and Will on ‘Great Southern Land’, as well as Janaki and Thando on ‘We Can Get Together, has been an incredible experience and each artist brings their own unique style and personality to the track. It’s going to be a great representation of Australia.
“Fittingly, this year marks the fortieth anniversary of Great Southern Land, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the song than by sharing it with not only Australia and those at the ‘G, but a global audience of hundreds of millions too.”
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup CEO, Michelle Enright said, “Since the first ball of the event was bowled on October 16, it’s been amazing to see everyone come together and embrace this T20 World Cup – it’s been a true celebration of cricket and the many different cultures within its extraordinary global fan base.
“When we thought about the final, we wanted to create an entertainment piece that speaks to our purpose and goes to the heart of the event, which is just that, bringing generations and cultures together.
“The combination of an Australian classic which has been reworked to acknowledge our First Nations Peoples, coupled with performances by Janaki and Thando – plus a myriad of cultural performers and dancers – will perfectly capture the essence of this event and recognise every team from around the world who participated.
“Together with a live Welcome to Country on the day, it’s going to be a wonderful celebration and I can’t wait to see this vision come to life at the MCG on Sunday 13 November.”
Following the completion of the Super 12 stage, the top two teams from each group will progress to the semi-finals. If Australia qualifies, they will play in Semi-Final 1 in Sydney.
Semi-Final 1: Wednesday, 9 November 19h00 AEDT at Sydney Cricket Ground
Semi-Final 2: Thursday, 10 November 18h30 ACDT at Adelaide Oval
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Final: Sunday, 13 November 19h00 AEDT at Melbourne Cricket Ground
