Aerosmith is back on a headline stage for the first time in three years, and the return is limited to two nights at the Hollywood Bowl. California, Dream On: Aerosmith & Friends is set for Thursday, October 29 and Sunday, November 1, 2026, in Los Angeles. Tickets are expected to move fast: a Citi presale opens October 8, and the general onsale is Saturday, October 10 at 10 a.m. PDT.
The shows are not a full tour. Two years after the band retired from the road, Aerosmith is playing two exclusive nights only, with a long list of guests and Don Was as music director. For fans who thought the Peace Out farewell was the last chance to hear “Dream On” and “Sweet Emotion” live, this is the window.
What the Hollywood Bowl shows are
Pollstar reported the announcement on October 7, 2026: Aerosmith will headline the Hollywood Bowl on October 29 and November 1 under the title California, Dream On: Aerosmith & Friends. The run is produced by Live Nation-Hewitt Silva and Blackbird Presents. Official details are on aerosmithandfriends.com.
The band has said it will play catalog anthems, including “Dream On,” “Sweet Emotion,” “Walk This Way,” “Janie’s Got a Gun,” “Crazy,” “Cryin’,” and “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.” Guests are booked on select nights. The announced lineup includes The Black Crowes, Run-DMC, Billy Idol, Andrew Watt, Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Duff McKagan of Guns N’ Roses, Eric Church, Alice in Chains’ Jerry Cantrell and Mike Inez, Marcus King, Extreme’s Nuno Bettencourt, Pat Monahan of Train, Sammy Hagar, Slash, Steve Stevens, Godsmack’s Sully Erna, Tom Morello, Adam Wakeman, Audley Freed, and Kenny Aronoff. More names are expected before show week. Deadline’s write-up of the two-night booking is here.
This is a celebration bill, not a standard Aerosmith arena date. Set length, which songs the guests join, and whether both nights share the same running order have not been confirmed. Buy the night you can attend. Do not assume October 29 and November 1 are identical.
Why these are the first shows in three years
Aerosmith launched the Peace Out farewell tour in summer 2023. Three shows in, Steven Tyler suffered vocal-cord damage at a sold-out date at UBS Arena in Belmont, New York. The tour was postponed, then cancelled. In August 2024 the band retired from touring, saying a full recovery was not possible despite Tyler’s work to get back. Pollstar’s box-office note on those three completed farewell shows: $12,377,079 from 53,456 tickets.
The Hollywood Bowl dates are the first time the band has booked headline shows since that retirement. They are not advertised as a new tour, a residency, or a reversal of the farewell. Treat them as two nights unless the band says otherwise.
Presale, onsale, and where to buy
Citi cardmembers get first access. The Citi presale runs from October 8 at 10 a.m. PT until October 9 at 10 a.m. PT. Other presales run through the week. General onsale begins October 10 at 10 a.m. local time. Start at the band’s event page, then go to the primary listing.
- Event info: aerosmithandfriends.com
- Primary tickets for October 29: Ticketmaster
- VIP packages: VIP Nation
VIP may include a preshow lounge, a limited-edition jacket, an exclusive T-shirt, and early entry. Inventory and contents can change by package, so read the current offer before you pay.
Face-value inventory will be the best price. Hollywood Bowl shows with a comeback narrative and a guest list this deep usually reprice quickly on the secondary market. If you miss the onsale, compare the all-in total on the primary page with resale listings before you check out. Fees, delivery method, and transfer rules matter as much as the seat price.
A practical onsale routine:
- Make a Ticketmaster account and save a payment card before October 10.
- Join the Citi presale on October 8 if you have an eligible card. That window is the best shot at lower sections.
- Decide your night and a max all-in price before the queue. Do not pick seats while the timer is running.
- Prefer transferable mobile tickets from the primary seller. Screenshot tickets are not entry at most Live Nation venues.
- Skip listings that will not transfer into your Ticketmaster account until you have confirmed the seat map and the refund policy.
No public face-value range had been posted at announcement. Expect pavilion and garden boxes to lead demand, with bench seats farther back still expensive once the guest list circulates.
Hollywood Bowl: seats, parking, and entry
The Bowl holds about 17,500. Sections are bench seating in the Bowl itself, with pool circle, garden boxes, and super seats closer to the stage, then terrace and upper sections behind. Sightlines are generally strong; the tradeoff is bench seats with no cupholders and a long walk from the upper lots. The venue’s visitor FAQ covers tickets, access, and house rules: Hollywood Bowl FAQs.
Parking sells out on marquee nights. The Bowl’s Park & Ride shuttle and rideshare zones are the usual workaround when on-site lots are gone. Details live under the venue’s visit pages: Hollywood Bowl Park & Ride. Arrive early. October 29 is a Thursday and November 1 is a Sunday, so weekday traffic is lighter than a Saturday, but Highland Avenue still clogs after 5 p.m.
Bag policy is small and clear. A small clutch is the safe bet. Picnic baskets are allowed at the Bowl in many configurations, which is unusual for an arena show, but check the current house rules before you pack glass or oversized coolers. Mobile tickets on the primary app are the expected entry method. Download them to your phone before you lose signal in the lots.
What fans should not assume
These are the first booked headline shows in three years. They are not a promise of a 2027 tour, a Las Vegas residency, or a full album cycle. Guest appearances are “select nights,” so Slash or Run-DMC on one date does not guarantee the same cameo on the other. Tyler’s vocal status is the reason the farewell ended. Anyone buying should weigh that the shows can still be postponed if the voice does not hold, and should read the refund rules on the primary listing before paying resale premiums.
Bottom line
California, Dream On is two nights, one venue, and the first time Aerosmith has headlined since the 2023 injury and the 2024 retirement. Citi presale is October 8 at 10 a.m. PT. General tickets go on sale October 10 at 10 a.m. PDT through Ticketmaster, with VIP on VIP Nation. If you want in, the primary onsale is the price that matters. After that, you are bidding against everyone who missed the Peace Out tour.
Ticket availability, fees, and package contents change without notice. This article is independent of Aerosmith, the Hollywood Bowl, Live Nation, and ticket sellers. Outbound ticket links may be affiliate links, which can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Always confirm dates, entry rules, and refund terms on the official event page before you buy.
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