Bryan Adams brings "Roll With The Punches" to Pretoria
Bryan Adams performs at SunBet Arena, Time Square, in Menlyn Maine in Pretoria, on 25.04.2026 at 20:00. Doors open at 18:00, so the evening is designed as a classic arena rock night out: enough time to arrive, take your place, have a drink before the concert and get into the rhythm before the first guitars. This is part of the South African leg of the "Roll With The Punches" tour, with performances in Cape Town, Pretoria and Durban, and Pretoria has two evenings at SunBet Arena - 25.04.2026 and 26.04.2026.
Adams comes to Pretoria with the reputation of a performer who does not rely only on nostalgia. His catalogue carries big radio choruses, solid rock guitars and ballads that the audience sings without warning: "Summer of '69", "Run to You", "Heaven", "Cuts Like a Knife" and "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" remain songs by which he is recognized even by those who have never followed him systematically. That is exactly why this concert is attractive to a wide audience: fans who have listened to him for decades, couples who come for the ballads, but also visitors who want to hear arena rock without excessive distance between the stage and the audience.
Ticket sales for this event are in progress.
Why this tour matters
"Roll With The Punches" is not just the name of the tour, but also the name of a newer studio album that marks Adams's current phase. After launching his own label Bad Records in 2024, Adams began releasing new music on his own terms, while continuing major international tours. The album "Roll With The Punches" was released in 2025 and brought material that naturally leans on his recognizable sound: guitar rock, a raspy vocal, direct choruses and themes of resilience, relationships and regaining momentum.
For visitors, this means that the concert is not reduced to merely listening through hits from past decades. The tour programme carries the context of a new career stage, but also the expected balance between newer songs and great classics. The organizer for the South African performances confirms Bryan Adams as the headliner, but does not list additional guests or a support act for the date in Pretoria. Therefore they should not be expected as a confirmed part of the programme.
Adams's longevity is not a marketing label but a verifiable fact. He has been touring for more than four decades, has hits that reached number one in more than 40 countries, and among the recognitions listed are a Grammy Award, American Music Awards, nominations for the Academy Award and Golden Globe, and Canadian state honours. But his greatest concert strength is still simple: the songs are written so that they work well in a hall, with an audience that takes over the chorus already after the first verses.
What the audience can expect from the concert
A Bryan Adams concert most often works through the direct relationship between the band and the audience. His style is not built on an overloaded stage story, but on rhythm, voice, guitar and songs that are quickly recognized. That is important for SunBet Arena, because the venue accommodates large productions, but it is not a stadium in which the performer gets lost in the distance. With this kind of performer, closeness and clear sound mean a lot: the audience wants to hear the lyrics, the chorus, the guitar and that recognizable rough edge of the vocal.
Based on previous performances from the "Roll With The Punches" tour, it is realistic to expect an evening that combines new songs with the best-known titles from his career. This does not mean that the set list for Pretoria has been confirmed in advance. The concert repertoire may change from city to city, and the official programme for 25.04.2026 does not publish the exact order of songs. What is certain is only that this is a tour that promotes a new phase and a new album, but the audience comes to Adams's concerts also because of songs that are already part of rock and pop-rock collective memory.
Those who like a simple, energetic concert format will fare best: a band on stage, songs with clear choruses and an audience that sings without much prompting. "Summer of '69" carries the kind of collective singing that easily changes the temperature in the hall, "Heaven" and "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" open space for a calmer part of the evening, while "Run to You" and "Cuts Like a Knife" recall the harder, guitar-driven side of his opus.
Tickets for this event are in demand.
SunBet Arena as a concert venue
SunBet Arena is located within the Time Square complex in Menlyn Maine, one of the busiest entertainment and business parts of Pretoria. The hall was opened as a modern multi-purpose space for concerts, conferences, exhibitions and large productions. For the concert experience, two things are most important: capacity and the shape of the space. SunBet Arena has a basic seated capacity of 8,500 seats, and concert configurations can range from a seated format to larger standing setups.
According to venue data, concert configurations include 8,300 seats for a seated concert and up to 10,000 visitors for a standing concert. That is large enough for the feeling of a full arena performance, but also compact enough for a rock concert not to lose contact with the audience. With Adams, for whom communication with the hall is often more important than visual bombast, such a ratio can be an advantage.
- Venue: SunBet Arena, Time Square, Menlyn Maine, Pretoria
- Complex address: 209 Aramist Avenue, Menlyn Maine, Pretoria, 0181, South Africa
- Basic capacity: 8,500 seated places
- Concert configurations: 8,300 seated places or up to 10,000 places for a standing concert
- Doors open: 18:00
- Concert starts: 20:00
Time Square is not an isolated hall on the edge of the city, but a complex with a hotel, restaurants, bars, a casino and facilities in the immediate surroundings. This is useful for visitors who arrive earlier, especially if they travel from other parts of Gauteng or stay in Pretoria after the concert. Menlyn Maine and nearby Central Square offer a choice of restaurants and places for a short stay before entering the arena, so the evening can be planned without rushing in the last hour.
Arrival, parking and public transport
For arrival by car, the simplest option is to enter Time Square, Menlyn Maine or the address 209 Aramist Avenue into navigation. This is an area of Pretoria with multiple commercial facilities, so on the day of the concert traffic around entrances, exits and parking can be expected. Since doors open at 18:00, arriving earlier reduces pressure and leaves enough time for the security check, finding seats and basic needs before the start at 20:00.
Parking is available within the Time Square complex and the surrounding Menlyn Maine area, but for large concerts one should count on the nearest zones filling up earlier. For visitors who do not know Pretoria, it is useful to check the route in advance, allow extra time for entering the complex and agree on a meeting point after the concert, because crowds are often created precisely on the way out.
Public transport is possible via Gautrain. Passengers arriving by train can get to Hatfield station and then use bus route H5 toward Menlyn. The Lois and Gobie Street stop is mentioned as a practical point for getting off, from where Time Square is approximately a ten-minute walk away. An alternative is ride-hailing services, especially for the return after the concert, when it is more practical to avoid looking for a parking space or exiting a full garage.
If you are coming from Johannesburg or another part of Gauteng, it is useful to plan the return as carefully as the arrival. The concert starts at 20:00, and the exact end is not officially listed. Therefore it is better not to tie the return to the last possible public transport departure without an additional check of the timetable on the day of travel.
Pretoria as host of the concert weekend
Pretoria, the administrative centre of the Republic of South Africa and one of the key cities of Gauteng, offers visitors a different rhythm from Johannesburg. Menlyn Maine is a more modern, more urban part of the city, with hotels, restaurants, office buildings and entertainment facilities in a small area. For a concert visitor, this means that one does not have to move far away from the hall in order to find dinner, accommodation or a meeting place before entry.
SunBet Arena is located in an area accustomed to larger events, but that does not mean one should arrive at the last minute. The Saturday date, the 20:00 start and an international performer with an audience from the wider region naturally create pressure on traffic. The most pleasant plan is to arrive in Menlyn Maine early enough, eat something before the concert and head toward the entrance before the biggest wave of arrivals.
For travellers staying in the city, the advantage of Menlyn Maine is the proximity of accommodation and facilities. Time Square Hotel is part of the same wider complex, and there are other hotels and apartment accommodation in the Menlyn area. This is practical for visitors who do not want to drive after the concert or are coming because of both Pretoria dates of the tour.
Who this concert is the best choice for
This is a concert for an audience that wants recognizable songs, but does not want an evening closed in a museum frame. Adams has enough new material for the concert to be connected with the current tour, and at the same time enough big hits for the hall to have a shared language from the beginning. Therefore different generations are likely to meet in the audience: those who have followed him since the album "Reckless", those who associate him with film ballads and younger visitors who know the choruses from radio and streaming spaces.
For long-time fans, it will be especially interesting to hear how the new songs from "Roll With The Punches" fit alongside older standards. For the wider audience, the most important thing will be that Adams's concert does not require great prior knowledge. Just a few songs are enough to recognize the framework of the evening: rock rhythm, emotional ballads, a clear vocal and choruses that are easy to sing in unison.
It is worth securing tickets in time.
Practical tips for the evening at SunBet Arena
The most important thing is to take into account the difference between the opening of the doors and the start of the concert. Doors open at 18:00, and the start is announced for 20:00. Those two hours are not surplus, but space for arrival, parking, going through checks, finding the sector and settling in. At large arena concerts, the biggest delay is often not at the entrance to the hall itself, but earlier: on roads toward the complex, ramps, parking lots and corridors around the arena.
If you are going in a group, agree on a meeting point before entering the complex, not only in front of the arena doors themselves. Time Square and Menlyn Maine have multiple entrances, restaurants and public spaces, so it is simpler to choose a specific point earlier. After the concert, it is useful to wait a few minutes before exiting the parking area or to arrange pickup in advance at a place that is not in the very busiest circle.
For the concert itself, it is worth bringing only what is necessary and checking the venue rules before arrival, especially if you are carrying a larger bag, a professional camera or additional equipment. The organizer and the hall may apply special rules for bringing in items depending on the event. If the information has not been published for this specific date, the safest option is to travel light and avoid anything that could slow down entry.
A musical moment between classics and the new album
Bryan Adams comes to Pretoria at a moment when his career is again clearly turning toward major international performances. The "Roll With The Punches" tour began in 2025 and continues through 2026, with performances on several continents. The South African leg is therefore not an isolated visit, but part of a broader schedule that connects new music, old hits and an audience that follows him in different phases of his career.
For Pretoria, it is especially important that the city gets two evenings at SunBet Arena, immediately after the performance in Cape Town and before the date in Durban. The Saturday concert on 25.04.2026 has the natural advantage of a weekend slot: easier arrival from other parts of the country, more time for an earlier arrival and greater space for planning the whole evening around the concert.
What makes this performance attractive is not the promise of something that has not been confirmed, but a very clear combination of proven elements: a performer with a large catalogue, a current tour with a new album, an arena space adapted to concerts and a city that has enough infrastructure for visitors who come only because of the event. For an audience that wants to hear rock songs with recognizable choruses, without a lot of distanced stage posing, SunBet Arena on 25.04.2026 has very clear concert logic.
Sources:
- Big Concerts - data were used on the South African tour dates, venue, door opening, concert start, tour name, headliner and the context of Adams's current career.
- Sun International - data were used on SunBet Arena, capacity, concert configurations, purpose of the venue and facilities of the Time Square complex.
- Bryan Adams - data were used on tour schedules and the current international cycle of performances.
- Grammy.com - data were used on Bryan Adams's Grammy history.
- Gautrain - data were used on the availability of bus routes and practical arrival toward Menlyn via Hatfield station.