Which 2026 Rock Tour Fits You Best: AC/DC, Foo Fighters, Guns N’ Roses, Iron Maiden, or Metallica?

Stadium rock is having a genuinely unusual year. Five of the biggest bands in the genre are active at the same time, spread across the summer and fall, with enough variety in format and style that the right show depends entirely on what kind of night you are after. Here is a breakdown of each tour, who it is for, and where it lands near you. Find tickets for all of them at Event Tickets Center and lock in your spot before the summer gets away from you.

Why Late 2026 is Rock’s Biggest Season

The stars have aligned: AC/DC and Guns N' Roses are both running stadium tours simultaneously, Foo Fighters are back with their first North American stadium run since 2024, and Iron Maiden are marking 50 years as a band with one of their largest touring efforts. Meanwhile, Metallica is having a huge year by doing something no metal band has done before.

Major hubs like MetLife Stadium and Allegiant Stadium are seeing multiple of these tours land within weeks of each other. If you have been waiting for a rock-out summer, 2026 is your year.

AC/DC: The Power Up North American Tour

AC/DC is the choice for fans who want a setlist they already know by heart delivered at stadium volume. "Back in Black," "Thunderstruck," and "Highway to Hell" are on every night, and Angus Young has not slowed down. The North American leg runs from July through late September, with The Pretty Reckless as an opening act.

AC/DC Power Up Tour: North American Dates

Foo Fighters: Take Cover Tour Schedule

The Foo Fighters Take Cover Tour is the most communal of the five. Dave Grohl has an ease at playing stadiums that other bands have in arenas: loose, loud, and long. Queens of the Stone Age are direct support on nearly every date, which makes this one of the stronger double-bills of the summer. The North American leg runs from August through late September, with 12 stadium stops across the US and Canada.

Foo Fighters Take Cover Tour: North American Dates

Guns N’ Roses: The 2026 World Tour Tickets

Guns N' Roses are running the longest North American stretch of any band on this list, with dates from early May through mid-September. The Rose Bowl stop on Sept. 5 in Pasadena is the one everyone is talking about: the band's first performance there in over 30 years, with Ice Cube opening that night specifically. The Black Crowes support the Las Vegas through San Diego run, and Public Enemy covers the first eight US dates from Raleigh through St. Louis.

Guns N' Roses 2026 World Tour: North American Dates

Iron Maiden: Run For Your Lives World Tour Dates

Iron Maiden are marking 50 years as a band with a tour that focuses on the first nine albums, which means the setlist leans harder on the early catalog. Megadeth and Anthrax share support duties across the North American leg, which makes this the most metal-stacked bill on the list. The run comes to the US and Canada in late August, hitting both coasts and a mid-country stretch through late September.

Iron Maiden Run For Your Lives: North American Dates

Metallica: The M72 Sphere Residency

Metallica is breaking ground: it’s the first metal band to get a full residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Dubbed Life Burns Faster, it runs on a No Repeat Weekend format: Thursday and Saturday shows in each pair have completely different setlists, meaning two nights in the same weekend still give you an entirely different concert. The venue's 360-degree wraparound screen and spatial audio are built for the scale of Metallica's live show. The October 2026 run covers five weekends, including Halloween night on the 31st.

Metallica Life Burns Faster: October 2026 Dates at Sphere, Las Vegas

Still Hungry for More?

The five headliners above are not the whole picture. A few others worth tracking:

• Def Leppard spent the early part of 2026 in a Las Vegas residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace and have since moved to European festival dates. Keep an eye out for any late-year US additions.
• Linkin Park are in the middle of one of the most-discussed comeback tours in rock, running global arenas throughout 2026.
• System of a Down continue to play select festival and stadium dates throughout the year without a full touring commitment.

Find Upcoming Rock Concerts Near You

These tours are selling on their own momentum. The Metallica residency dates in October are the tightest inventory on the list, and AC/DC's late-September stadium run has been moving steadily since the on-sale. If you are planning to go solo, our guide on going to a concert alone covers everything you need to know before you head out. Find your city, check the dates, grab your tickets at Event Tickets Center, and rock on!