The biggest rock band on the planet storms the capital this month…

It’s often believed that two years marks a full circle. Two-year plans, two-year transformations, two-year sentences. Whether that has anything to do with touring or not is anyone’s guess – but right on cue, Axl Rose & Co. are back, bringing their bulletproof rock songbook to Abu Dhabi exactly two years since their last foot-stomping blowout in the desert.

Yes, sweet child – it’s happening again. On Tuesday, May 27, the Etihad Arena will trade air-conditioned civility for full-throttle chaos, as Guns N’ Roses returns to unleash a no-holds-barred, riff-soaked set of their greatest hits. While Abu Dhabi’s entertainment calendar has already served up its fair share of megawatt names this year, this just might be the capital’s final massive gig before the city hits pause for the summer. But fret not, because GNR will be amping things up.

Images: supplied, Getty

What’s All the Noise About?

Formed in 1985 in the wild heart of Los Angeles, Guns N’ Roses exploded onto the scene with a raw, turbo-charged fusion of hard rock, punk sneer and glam-metal swagger. Their debut album, Appetite for Destruction, landed in 1987 like a Molotov cocktail – spawning timeless anthems like Welcome to the Jungle, Sweet Child O’ Mine, and Paradise City. It became the best-selling debut album of all time in the US.

At their core, Guns N’ Roses have always embodied beautiful, brutal contradiction. The volatile genius of Axl Rose, the effortless cool of Slash, the tight, driving rhythm section – all wrapped in a storm of excess, ego and electricity. They didn’t just play rock. They lived it – loudly, recklessly, and unapologetically.

Through meteoric rises, infamous feuds, years-long silences, and a landmark 2016 reunion tour that broke global records, Guns N’ Roses have carved their place in the rock pantheon. Not quite grunge, not just glam — they’re the gritty, guitar-shredding outlaws that simply refuse to fade.

Still the Real Thing

So why does a Guns N’ Roses concert remain bucket-list-worthy in 2025?

Because when it comes to live music, they deliver the full package – lock, headstock and barrel. Axl may not sprint like he used to, but the voice still cuts through the noise. Slash still rips like a man possessed. And the atmosphere? It’s pure electricity. No gimmicks, no backing tracks – just a wall of sound and a crowd ready to scream along to every word.

It’s an experience that transcends generations. Whether you’ve been air-guitaring to November Rain since the ‘90s or just discovered Don’t Cry on a vintage playlist, there’s something unmistakably epic about watching these songs come to life on stage.

Expect two hours of face-melting solos, cathartic singalongs, and raw, unfiltered rock – the kind that rattles your chest and reminds you why this genre will never die.

Know before you go

Whether you’re brushing up or starting fresh, here are five must-know tracks to get you primed for May 27:

Welcome to the Jungle (Appetite for Destruction, 1987)
Feral, iconic, instantly recognisable. The song that announces: “You’re not in Kansas anymore.”

Sweet Child O’ Mine (Appetite for Destruction, 1987)
The singalong. The solo. The moment the entire arena becomes one voice.

Paradise City (Appetite for Destruction, 1987)
It starts like a sunset drive, ends like a fistfight in a dive bar. Rock perfection.

Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan cover, 1990)
Covered by many, owned by GNR. The kind of slow-burn anthem that hits different live.

Don’t Cry (Use Your Illusion I, 1991)
Every rock band has one heartbreaker that fans hold close – this is theirs.

Guns N’ Roses, Etihad Arena, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, Tue May 27, 8pm, from Dhs380. etihadarena.ae