She’s hit the stage at every major music festival in Australia and now passionate football fan Nina Las Vegas (Nina Agzarian) will hit the pitch in Sydney, setting the vibe for the Socceroos and its fans ahead of Australia’s huge FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifier against Japan on Thursday evening.
Nina – a former triple j host, and current label head, producer, curator, and DJ – will perform a 30-minute set at Stadium Australia on Thursday night, mixing player and fan requests during Australia’s warm up between 7.20pm and 7.50pm prior to the 8.10pm kick-off.
Nina has performed on stages at the Big Day Out, Stereosonic, Splendour In The Grass, Groovin’ The Moo, Parklife, & FOMO in the past, and has embarked on a few national club tours of her own, too, however Thursday night will mark the first time that she’s performed for and before a national team.
“Like the Socceroos players, I am excited to have received the call up for Thursday’s huge match against Japan,” Nina said. “As a big football fan I recognise how important this game is to the team, fans, and Australian football, and I am looking forward to playing my role during the warm up to get the crowd on its feet before Australia and Japan take to the pitch for this important contest.”
“We’ve put the feelers out to the players to hear what tracks they would like to hear during their preparations on the pitch. I’m integrating a few Australian classics as requested by Maty Ryan, and seeking to set a positive tone for the players as they get set to represent our nation in front of a passionate home crowd, and of course, I’ll sneak that NLV touch in” she said.
Socceroos and Sydney FC goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne said he believes having music pumping during the team’s warm up will help create a great ambience and atmosphere for players and fans alike leading into the match.
“Music plays a big part in football culture and particularly in the build-up to games as players get in the zone with tunes in the changeroom,” Andrew said. “On Thursday, we trust Nina, who I used to listen to on triple j, will help transfer our energy from the changeroom to the field as we put the final touches on our preparations for the match.”
In the past two years Nina has partnered with Nike Football, writing the Australian Women's FIFA World Cup anthem for The Matildas, ‘Everything We Ever Dreamed Of’. An Ambassador for Football Australia’s #AsOne campaign to host the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia, Nina also hosted the launch of Nike’s 2020 Australia National Team Kit.
Please click here to download promotional images of Nina Las Vegas.
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ – AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar (Final Round)
Matchday 9: Australia v Japan
Date: Thursday, 24 March 2022
Venue: Stadium Australia, Sydney, Australia
Kick-off: 8.10pm AEDT
Tickets: Tickets available from Ticketek
Broadcast: Live and free in Australia on Network 10 and simulcast on 10 Play