Guns N’ Roses Kick Off 2026 North American Tour in Raleigh on Slash’s Birthday

Guns N’ Roses kicked off the North American leg of their 2026 World Tour at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Thursday night, July 23rd. The band played a marathon 29-song set that landed on guitarist Slash’s 61st birthday and included a tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne.

• Guns N’ Roses opened their 2026 North American tour on July 23rd in Raleigh, North Carolina.
• The show fell on Slash’s 61st birthday, and the audience and band serenaded him with “Happy Birthday.”
• The band played 29 songs, opening with “Welcome to the Jungle” and closing with “Paradise City.”
• Guns N’ Roses covered Black Sabbath’s “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” as a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, a day after the one-year anniversary of his death.
• The North American leg runs through a September 19th show in Atlanta, with support from Public Enemy, Ice Cube, Pierce the Veil, and The Barbarians of California.

What Happened at the Guns N’ Roses Raleigh Show?

Thousands of fans packed Carter-Finley Stadium as Guns N’ Roses tore through eight songs from their 1987 debut album, Appetite for Destruction, including “Mr. Brownstone” and “Sweet Child o’ Mine.” The set opened with “Welcome to the Jungle” and closed with “Paradise City,” bookending a night that also featured deep cuts and covers from across the band’s catalog. Axl Rose and the rest of the group leaned on a mix of originals and reinterpreted classics to fill out the marathon performance.

The band’s cover selections spanned decades and genres, including Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” Wings’ “Live and Let Die,” The Damned’s “New Rose,” Velvet Revolver’s “Slither,” and Jimmy Webb’s “Wichita Lineman.” That range underscored the breadth of Guns N’ Roses’ live show more than three decades into the band’s career.

How Did Guns N’ Roses Celebrate Slash’s Birthday?

The Raleigh concert happened to fall on Slash’s 61st birthday, and Axl Rose led the stadium in a surprise rendition of “Happy Birthday to You” during the set. Slash appeared visibly bashful, covering his mouth as thousands of fans sang to him. Guns N’ Roses also posted an Instagram highlight-reel video celebrating the guitarist, captioned, “Join us in wishing the iconic, the one N’ only, Slash a very happy birthday.”

Slash responded to the outpouring of birthday wishes online, writing, “Thank you everybody for all the kind bday wishes, you guys are fn wonderful, cheers!” He shared the message alongside a humorous video rather than a traditional celebratory post. Slash is part of the “classic” Guns N’ Roses lineup alongside Axl Rose, Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagan, and Steven Adler — a roster that has sold over 100 million albums and earned induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Guns N’ Roses Pay Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne

Guns N’ Roses worked Black Sabbath’s “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” into the Raleigh set as a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, projecting images of the late metal icon on the venue’s video screens. The performance came one day after the one-year anniversary of Osbourne’s death, adding an emotional layer to the tour opener.

Public Enemy opened the Raleigh show with a 10-song set that included “Shut ‘Em Down,” “911 Is a Joke,” “Bring the Noise,” and “Fight the Power.” Ice Cube, Pierce the Veil, and The Barbarians of California also lent support across the night, rounding out a bill built around Guns N’ Roses’ headlining run.

Guns N’ Roses Raleigh Setlist

1. Welcome to the Jungle
2. Bad Obsession
3. Mr. Brownstone
4. It’s So Easy
5. Slither (Velvet Revolver cover)
6. Hard Skool
7. Chinese Democracy
8. Live and Let Die (Wings cover)
9. Yesterdays
10. Think About You
11. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (Black Sabbath cover)
12. Estranged
13. Double Talkin’ Jive
14. Don’t Cry
15. You Could Be Mine
16. Nothin’
17. Rocket Queen
18. Wichita Lineman (Jimmy Webb cover)
19. New Rose (The Damned cover)
20. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan cover)
21. Happy Birthday to You (For Slash)
22. Civil War
23. Atlas
24. The General
25. Slash Guitar Solo
26. Sweet Child o’ Mine
27. November Rain
28. Nightrain
29. Paradise City

FAQ

When did Guns N’ Roses start their 2026 North American tour?

Guns N’ Roses started the North American leg of their 2026 World Tour on Thursday, July 23rd, at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, North Carolina.

How many songs did Guns N’ Roses play in Raleigh?

Guns N’ Roses played a 29-song set at the Raleigh tour opener, spanning their original catalog and several cover songs.

When does the Guns N’ Roses North American tour end?

The North American leg of the tour extends through a September 19th show in Atlanta.

Sources

1. American Songwriter
2. r/Music (Reddit)
3. JamBase
4. Consequence
5. Far Out Magazine