Some not-so-cryptic signs have been pointing to a possible Guns N’ Roses reunion in 2016, and now sources tell Billboard that it’s happening. The band will reportedly headline Coachella Music & Arts Festival this spring with founding members Axl Rose and Slash. A reunion tour is also said to be in the works.
The rumors had previously been fueled by three pieces of evidence, according to Billboard: a recently updated Guns N’ Roses website, an updated GNR Facebook page featuring a profile photo of a live crowd, and a surprise clip of Welcome to the Jungle played over crowd footage before screenings of Star Wars: The Force Awakens this past weekend (shown above). The crowd photo on Facebook and pre-Star Wars footage clip led some to suggest an upcoming reunion tour was in the works, which seemed likely given comments from guitarist Richard Fortus earlier this year.
“We’re going to be doing stuff next year,” said Fortus to Stormbringer (via Ultimate Classic Rock). “We’re not going to have anything out this year. Next year it should be out and we’ll be touring.”
GNR is said to be already set to play the new Las Vegas Arena and is in negotiations to play up to 25 football stadiums this summer. Tickets could range from $250-$275, with the band reportedly asking for around $3 million per show. A Coachella performance and tour, if they happen, would reunite original lead guitarist Slash and lead vocalist Rose for their first performance since a July 17, 1993 show in Buenos Aires.
Earlier this year, Slash told an interviewer that he’s patched up his relationship with the GNR vocalist after a rocky past. (The group’s last record, 2008’s Chinese Democracy, took an entire decade to complete because of a myriad of creative differences.) “It was probably way overdue, you know,” said Slash in an interview with Sweden’s Aftonbladet (via Rolling Stone). “But it’s very cool at this point to dispel some of that negative stuff that was going on for so long.”
Nothing has been officially confirmed at this point, but whether it will be a single performance or a full-fledged reunion tour supporting a new album, a GNR reunion is much anticipated and overdue. We’ll keep you updated as this story evolves.
Updated 12/29/15 by Stephanie Topacio Long: This article has been updated to add reports from sources stating that Guns N’ Roses will headline Coachella 2016, with a stadium tour in negotiations.
