Guns N’ Roses have officially kicked off their 2026 tour, with some surprise inclusions making the set list.
Starting at at the Tecate Pa’l Norte festival in Monterrey, Mexico on Saturday night, the rock legends ripped through a 26-song set that included the live debuts of two new tracks, “Nothin’” and “Atlas”.
Both songs have been kicking around in the GNR vault since the infamous Chinese Democracy sessions and were officially released back in December 2025 to announce the tour. While the band had reportedly sound-checked ‘Nothin’’ before a show in Japan last year, Saturday at Monterrey’s Parque Fundidora marked its proper world premiere.
Per Rolling Stone, after dusting off fellow unearthed track “Perhaps”, Axl Rose and company delivered “Atlas” (previously known as “Atlas Shrugge”’) its first-ever live outing.
The rest of the night was a classic GNR affair, packed with the usual hits and a slate of covers that have become staples in their set, including Velvet Revolver’s “Slither”, a nod to Black Sabbath with “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”, The Damned’s “New Rose”, and “Down on the Farm” by UK Subs.
One notable absence from the stage, however, was keyboardist Melissa Reese. The band announced before the show that Reese would be sitting out the 2026 tour “due to unforeseen personal reasons.” Reese has been a crucial part of the band’s live sound since joining in 2016, and was reportedly nearing her 10th anniversary with the group.
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Reese has featured in the Guns N’ Roses lineup since joining their Not In This Lifetime reunion tour back in 2016. The run became the third-highest-grossing tour of all time.
She was originally brought into the fold by Chinese Democracy producer Caram Costanzo, who was on the hunt for a musician “with a really unique set of skills.” Reese clearly fit the bill, stepping onto some of the biggest stages in the world.
Guns N’ Roses will hit Australia this November and December.
