Nine Indonesian Guitar Greats to Open Guns N' Roses Jakarta Concert on November 21

A local rock showcase before the main event

Nine of Indonesia's best known guitarists are being brought together for a performance lasting about 45 to 50 minutes before Guns N' Roses take the stage in Jakarta on November 21, 2026. The project, called 9 Dewa Gitar, or Nine Guitar Gods, will pair individual performances with a collective finale under music director Dewa Budjana.

Promoter Rajawali Indonesia announced the concept at a press conference in Senayan on October 16. The lineup includes Ian Antono, Eet Sjahranie, Edi Kemput, Totok Tewel, Pay Burman, Azis MS, John Paul Ivan, Budjana and Rhoma Irama. Three singers and a supporting band will help turn the gathering into a full concert performance rather than a succession of guitar solos.

Most announcements place the concert at Stadion Madya Gelora Bung Karno in Senayan, while another announcement names Indonesia Arena. The venue discrepancy needs clarification for ticket holders. Rajawali's Anas Alimi has also said attendance will remain within the limit set by the original Indonesia Arena contract.

Anas said all seated ticket categories, including VIP and Tribune A and B, had sold out by October 16, leaving Festival tickets available. Guns N' Roses are expected to perform for about three hours after the Indonesian opening set.

Who are the nine guitarists?

Rajawali has selected musicians associated with several major Indonesian bands, giving the opening performance a much broader identity than a single support act. Their musical connections stretch from God Bless and Gong 2000 to GIGI, Jamrud and Soneta Group.

• Ian Antono, associated with God Bless and Gong 2000.
• Eet Sjahranie, guitarist with Edane.
• Edi Kemput, associated with Grass Rock.
• Totok Tewel, guitarist with Elpamas.
• Pay Burman, associated with BIP and formerly Slank.
• Azis MS, guitarist with Jamrud.
• John Paul Ivan, formerly of Boomerang.
• Dewa Budjana, guitarist with GIGI and the project's music director.
• Rhoma Irama, singer and guitarist with Soneta Group.

Ian Antono and Totok Tewel also bring a connection to Malang, the East Java city from which both musicians come. Their inclusion gives the Jakarta event a regional dimension, placing two musicians from the city's rock community alongside colleagues from across Indonesia's music industry.

Anas described the selection as a way to present Indonesia's own rock history before welcoming the visiting band. He said he chose nine because he regarded it as the highest single digit, giving the gathering a distinctive name and identity.

Budjana will connect individual songs with a shared finale

Dewa Budjana has two jobs: performing as one of the nine guitarists and directing the music that connects them. Each guitarist is expected to present a signature number before the musicians join together for a closing song.

Budjana said the arrangements would stay close to the original songs so listeners could recognise them. An arrangement determines how a song is played, including which instruments carry the melody, when a singer enters and where a solo begins. With nine guitarists involved, those decisions will determine how much space each musician has.

Budjana explained the balance between individual appearances and the group performance. In comments translated from Indonesian, the GIGI guitarist said:

There will be playing together, but there are technical aspects too. Each guitarist will perform their own number. Then there will be a part where we play one song together.

Rajawali has allowed the musicians to choose their song combinations through rehearsals. No final song list or exact running order has been announced. The planned duration of 45 to 50 minutes gives the group less than an hour to introduce nine distinct playing styles and bring them together.

Rhoma Irama brings a different musical route

Rhoma Irama's participation extends the lineup beyond musicians primarily associated with rock bands. Widely known for dangdut and his work with Soneta Group, he said the invitation surprised him because he considers himself a singer who plays guitar.

Rhoma recalled receiving a telephone call from Anas inviting him to join the guitarists. In comments translated from Indonesian, the Soneta musician said:

I was really surprised. Suddenly Anas called and invited me to gather with the guitar gods. Hey, I'm not a guitar god, I'm a vocal god.

Rhoma also said he was happy to reunite with musicians including Budjana, Ian Antono and Azis, with whom he had previously collaborated. He explained that rock was familiar territory: he had played it with earlier bands before becoming widely known for dangdut.

Anas pointed to Deep Purple as an influence on Rhoma. His place in the opening act therefore connects the concert's celebration of Indonesian rock with a musician whose career reached a different audience. For listeners, the shared stage offers a chance to hear that connection through the musicians' own performances.

The singers and rhythm section complete the lineup

Achmad Albar of God Bless, Roy Jeconiah of Boomerang and Krisyanto of Jamrud are named as the supporting vocalists. Their involvement allows the guitarists to perform songs with familiar voices as well as familiar instrumental parts.

Rere Reza of Grass Rock is scheduled to play drums, Shadu Rasjidi will play bass and Rio Ricardo will handle keyboards. Shadu is known for his work with DeadSquad and Infernal Lamentations. The drums and bass will provide the rhythmic foundation beneath the guitar parts, while keyboards can fill out the arrangements.

God Bless has also stated on social media that Achmad Albar and Ian Antono will bring a special rock atmosphere to the concert. Their participation creates one of several connections between singers and guitarists who share a band history, alongside the Jamrud and Boomerang musicians.

Pay Burman and Azis MS welcomed the chance to gather with fellow guitarists. Pay described the occasion as resembling a family gathering, while Azis said he was grateful for the opportunity to meet the other musicians as well as perform. Those reactions reflect another purpose of the project: bringing established colleagues together outside their usual bands.

Management approval and the possibility of Slash joining

Anas said discussions with Guns N' Roses management took time because the opening act required an explanation of the concept and the people involved. Rajawali sent the musicians' names and further details, and he said management responded positively and approved the proposal.

The promoter has also raised the possibility of bringing Slash onstage with the nine Indonesian guitarists. Anas said Rajawali would try to arrange it, but no joint appearance has been confirmed. The advertised local collaboration is the nine guitarists' performance under Budjana's direction.

Anas said he contacted the Indonesian musicians individually, including Budjana, Edi Kemput and Pay, and received relatively quick agreement. The more involved discussions concerned how the special performance would fit within the Guns N' Roses event.

Rajawali's approach gives the local musicians a defined place in the evening rather than simply asking one established band to open. The individual songs will introduce their separate careers, while the finale will provide the shared moment at the centre of the concept.

Tickets, production and the scale of the evening

VIP and Tribune A and B tickets were sold out as of the promoter's October 16 update. Festival tickets remained available through Loket.com and the Lifestyle feature in the Bale by BTN application. Bale by BTN is presenting the concert, with Rajawali Indonesia as promoter.

The Madya Stadium plan has been described as accommodating around 24,000 spectators across the stands and Festival area. Anas, however, said attendance would stay within the original contractual limit associated with Indonesia Arena. No remaining ticket count or precise contractual attendance limit was disclosed.

Production plans call for approximately 40 tons of equipment. Anas said the stage drawings had reached their final form and that equipment available in Jakarta could meet the event's needs. He also described the band's technical and hospitality requirements as standard, with food requests that could be met locally.

Rajawali has promised sound and lighting suitable for the Indonesian performance as well as the international headliner. That matters especially for a set involving nine guitars: the production team will need to make individual parts audible while supporting the singers, bass, drums and keyboards.

The two scheduled performances together amount to roughly three hours and 45 minutes to three hours and 50 minutes of music, using the promoter's estimate of a three hour Guns N' Roses set. That total excludes any changeover between acts.

A third Indonesian visit with a Jakarta visual identity

Guns N' Roses previously performed in Indonesia in 2012 at MEIS Ancol and in 2018 at Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium. The planned November 2026 concert would be their third Indonesian visit, eight years after their previous appearance.

The touring lineup is named as Axl Rose on vocals, Slash and Richard Fortus on guitars, Duff McKagan on bass, Dizzy Reed on keyboards and Isaac Carpenter on drums. Keyboard and synthesiser player Melissa Reese is described as taking a temporary hiatus during 2026 for personal reasons.

Rajawali is also working with Yogyakarta artist Eko Nugroho on artwork for the Jakarta concert. The collaboration follows the band's practice of using artwork specific to individual tour cities, extending the Indonesian contribution beyond the opening performance.

Anas has said Jakarta and Singapore are the tour's only Asian stops. For the Jakarta date, the combination of local concert artwork and a large Indonesian opening ensemble gives the event a national identity alongside the visiting band's performance.

How the concert fits the planned studio break

Anas has described the current tour as the last before Guns N' Roses return to the recording studio the following year. Slash has also been quoted outlining a plan to clear the band's 2027 touring schedule so the musicians can write and record new material.

The plan described is a break from touring for studio work. No album release date has been announced. For the Jakarta audience, the immediate commitment remains the November 21 concert, while the recording plans concern the band's schedule in 2027.

The main dates place the local collaboration within a longer sequence of Indonesian visits and the proposed return to recording:

• 2012: Guns N' Roses perform at MEIS Ancol in Indonesia.
• 2018: The band returns for a concert at Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium.
• October 16, 2026: Rajawali discusses the nine guitarist concept and says seated tickets have sold out.
• November 21, 2026: The Jakarta concert is scheduled, with 9 Dewa Gitar opening.
• 2027: The band plans to set aside touring time to write and record music.

Rajawali's most concrete addition to the Jakarta show is the opening ensemble itself. Nine guitarists, three singers and a supporting band are being assembled to present recognisable Indonesian songs before Guns N' Roses begin their set. Budjana's arrangements will determine how those separate musical histories fit into one performance.

Key Points

• Guns N' Roses are scheduled to play Jakarta on November 21, 2026.
• Nine Indonesian guitarists will open in a set planned to last 45 to 50 minutes.
• Dewa Budjana will direct individual performances and a shared closing song.
• Rhoma Irama, Ian Antono, Eet Sjahranie and six other guitarists form the lineup.
• Achmad Albar, Roy Jeconiah and Krisyanto will provide vocals alongside a supporting band.
• Seated tickets were sold out by October 16; Festival tickets remained available.
• Most announcements name Stadion Madya GBK, while an Indonesia Arena listing requires clarification.
• A collaboration with Slash is a promoter's ambition, not a confirmed performance.