Guns N’ Roses Plays the Rose Bowl Saturday; Pasadena Neighbors Told to Expect a Closed Loop, Pyrotechnics and Late-Night Traffic

Guns N’ Roses returns to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, Sept. 5, for what the band has billed as its first show at the stadium in more than three decades, and the Rose Bowl has issued its event-day advisory for residents of the surrounding Arroyo neighborhoods: a closed Recreational Loop, daytime sound checks, evening pyrotechnics and heavy traffic on both ends of the concert.

The show, a stop on the band’s 2026 world tour with Ice Cube as special guest, is scheduled from 6:25 to 11 p.m., according to the Live Nation and Ticketmaster event listings and the Rose Bowl advisory, which was distributed Thursday in Councilmember Steve Madison’s District 6 newsletter. Parking lots open and shuttles begin running at 2:30 p.m., a happy hour at Brookside runs from 2:30 to 6 p.m., and stadium gates open at 5 p.m., the advisory said.

The Recreational Loop around the stadium will be closed from 9:30 a.m. Saturday until 1 a.m. Sunday; the Equestrian Loop remains open throughout, according to the advisory. Because of load-in, the show and load-out, stadium lights will stay on for most of the evening into the early morning hours from Tuesday, Sept. 1, through Sunday, Sept. 6, and will be turned off at the earliest possible time, the Rose Bowl said.

Sound checks will take place sporadically from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and residents should expect amplified sound comparable to other stadium concerts and festivals, the advisory said. Pyrotechnics — fireworks that may be seen and heard for a few minutes at a time — are expected between about 8:30 and 11 p.m., along with theatrical lighting and other effects; all times are approximate and subject to change based on production needs, according to the Rose Bowl.

Traffic is expected to be heaviest from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday and again from 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Sunday. Load-out begins immediately after the performance and continues through Sunday, with select stadium lights and vehicle traffic on site, the advisory said.

Residents with questions or concerns can call the Rose Bowl Event Day Resident Hotline at (626) 397-4141 between 9 a.m. and 11:55 p.m. Saturday.

The Pasadena date was announced in November as part of a world tour that coincided with the release of two new singles, “Nothin'” and “Atlas,” the band’s first new music since 2023. The band is touring with founding members Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan alongside Dizzy Reed, Richard Fortus, Isaac Carpenter and Melissa Reese.