Photo: Eric EnglandIf you don't agree that Guns N' Roses reunion tour stop at Nissan Stadium back in July was the rock show of the year, then you probably weren't there. And if you weren't there, I'd bet money most of you Middle Tennesseans wish you hadn't missed it. Well, now it looks like you might have another opportunity to please your inner rocker child this summer.

Earlier this month, the semi-reunited rock legends announced they'd return to the U.S. summer 2017 for another round of stadium shows in markets they missed on the first leg of the wildly successful Not in This Lifetime Tour. (Fun fact: the upcoming jaunt kicks off in St. Louis.) Of course, Nashville is not a city the band missed in 2016, so we shouldn't be expecting another Middle Tennessee Guns show, right?

Wrong. Evidence obtained by the Scene suggests GNR has a stop at Manchester's Great Stage Park — the site of the annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival — slated for Aug. 5.

Check it out. Earlier this month, concert promotions Goliath Live Nation — which is promoting the Not in This Life Time Tour and owns a majority stake in Bonnaroo and Great Stage Park — got in the holiday spirit with a contest called 12 Days of Ticket Giveaways. Each day of the promotion — which ran between Dec. 13 and Dec. 25 — featured a different soon-to-be-touring artist that participants could potentially win a pair of tickets (and "Ultimate Access Pass™") to see at a participating show of choice. Guns N' Roses was the featured artist on Day 9.

Now here's where things get a little interesting. The contest page doesn't specify which participating artist's tour dates winners can choose from. But this PDF of 12 Days of Ticket Giveaways sweepstakes guidelines the Scene found buried beneath the hood of Live Nation's site does. And from that document, here are the Guns N' Roses venues and dates that are on the table:





Day 9: Guns N’ Roses:

The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis, MO scheduled to take place on July 27, 2017

U.S./Canada/Canada Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN scheduled to take place on July 30, 2017

Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver, CO scheduled to take place on August 2, 2017

Bonnaroo Site in Manchester, TN scheduled to take place on August 5, 2017

Miami Marlins Stadium in Miami, FL scheduled to take place on August 8, 2017

BB&T Field at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC scheduled to take place on August 11, 2017

Hershey Park Stadium in Hershey, PA scheduled to take place on August 13, 2017

New Era Field in Buffalo, NY scheduled to take place on August 16, 2017

The Gorge in George, WA scheduled to take place on September 3, 2017

Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, TX scheduled to take place on September 6, 2017

Alamodome in San Antonio, TX scheduled to take place on September 8, 2017





With the exception of the Aug. 5 date, all of these shows have been officially announced. It's also worth noting that the date falls right in the middle of a dark five-day gap between shows in Denver and Miami. There are numerous explanations as for why promoters maybe haven't announced this (if it's indeed happening) yet. They might not want to do it before announcing the Bonnaroo 2017 lineup. So far, no shows in cities GNR already hit in 2016 have been announced, but it's not unreasonable to assume that band might return to major cities like L.A. or New York. And though Middle Tennessee doesn't quite rank along those destinations as a primary market, the fact that Live Nation owns Great Stage Park means the cost of promoting a show there probably pales in comparison to paying facility fees for a stadium gig.



Bonnaroo organizers have long expressed interest in hosting other events and concerts at the festival site. Sources tell the Scene a country music festival — think Bonnaroo's answer to Coachella's Stagecoach — was in the works for 2016 but got scrapped. If this ends up being a real gig, Guns N' Roses could be the first band to headline a non-Bonnaroo stand-alone show at Great Stage Park.

