AC/DC brings stadium rock back to Santa Clara
AC/DC arrives at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara on August 5, 2026, with the program scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM. The concert is part of the extended POWER UP tour, named after the band's latest studio album, and is one of the rare opportunities to hear their best-known riffs in a full stadium format in the San Francisco Bay Area.
This is not a concert that relies on trends or a short-lived viral moment. AC/DC continues to build its performance around direct hard rock: a solid rhythm, blues roots, Angus Young's recognizable guitar sound, and Brian Johnson's raspy vocals. The audience can therefore expect an evening focused on songs, riffs, and singing together, without the need for a complicated concept.
The program also includes The Pretty Reckless, the confirmed special guest for this evening. Their more modern hard-rock sound naturally complements the headliner and provides an additional reason to arrive before the main part of the program begins.
Ticket sales for this event are underway. Because of the scale of the tour, the international audience, and the fact that there is only one stop in the San Francisco Bay Area, it is worth securing tickets in good time.
Why the POWER UP tour matters
POWER UP is AC/DC's seventeenth studio album. It was released in 2020, contains 12 songs, and reached number one in 21 countries. The first single, "Shot in the Dark," immediately showed that the band was not trying to change its musical language: the emphasis remained on short, powerful guitar motifs, a steady rhythm, and choruses that work well in front of a large audience.
The tour carries the album's name, but the concerts are not designed as performances of the new material from beginning to end. Previous shows have demonstrated that POWER UP serves as a framework for a cross-section of the band's entire career. At the center are songs that have shaped radio, club, and stadium rock for decades, while the newer material connects the band's current phase with its catalog.
The lineup announced for the 2026 tour brings together five musicians:
- Angus Young - lead guitar
- Brian Johnson - vocals
- Stevie Young - rhythm guitar
- Matt Laug - drums
- Chris Chaney - bass guitar
Angus Young remains the visual and musical center of the performance. His schoolboy outfit, duckwalk, and long guitar solo are not decoration separated from the music, but part of the band's identity that the audience expects just as much as the opening bars of its greatest hits. Brian Johnson leads the communal singing with a voice that has been inseparable for decades from the albums "Back in Black," "For Those About to Rock We Salute You," and later releases.
The audience at their concerts is not limited to a single generation. Fans from the eighties, their children, and younger listeners who discovered "Thunderstruck" or "Highway to Hell" through films, sports, video games, and streaming can all be found in the same row.
A repertoire that connects multiple generations
The exact set list for Santa Clara has not been published, and it should not be assumed that it will be identical to previous concerts. Nevertheless, the shows held so far on the POWER UP tour provide a fairly clear framework for the experience the audience can expect.
Recent tour reports regularly mention "Back in Black," "Thunderstruck," "Hells Bells," "Highway to Hell," "You Shook Me All Night Long," "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap," "T.N.T.," and "For Those About to Rock We Salute You." Alongside them, songs such as "If You Want Blood You've Got It," "Shoot to Thrill," "Whole Lotta Rosie," "Let There Be Rock," and the newer "Shot in the Dark" have been performed.
Their order and presence in Santa Clara are not guaranteed. The structure used so far is nevertheless clear: recognizable riffs arrive early, the middle leaves room for deeper cuts, and the finale brings together songs that the entire stadium can sing together.
Reviews of the 2025 Melbourne performances described a program lasting more than two hours and strongly focused on the classics. The duration in Santa Clara has not been announced, so the return journey should not be planned according to someone else's set list.
The Pretty Reckless opens the door to more modern hard rock
The Pretty Reckless performs as the special guest. The group led by Taylor Momsen combines heavy guitars, darker melodies, and more contemporary production, making it stylistically close enough to AC/DC for the evening to feel connected, yet different enough for the program not to sound monotonous.
For audience members coming primarily for AC/DC, this is an opportunity to hear a notable American hard-rock band from a newer generation, while its fans get a rare stadium setting.
The time of their appearance on stage and the length of their performance should be checked immediately before the event. The announced time of 7:00 PM refers to the beginning of the program, but the stadium's website currently does not provide a detailed schedule by performer.
Levi's Stadium changes how the concert is experienced
Levi's Stadium is located at 4900 Marie P. DeBartolo Way in Santa Clara. It is important to emphasize that the stadium is not in downtown San Francisco, although the concert is listed under San Francisco on the tour schedule. Visitors arriving from San Francisco, Oakland, or other parts of the Bay Area should allow time for the journey to Santa Clara and the return trip after the event ends.
The capacity for sporting events is approximately 68,500 seats, while the concert configuration changes because of the stage and technical areas. The feeling of proximity therefore depends heavily on the section: the lower stands provide a more direct connection with the stage, the upper levels offer a better overview, and floor seats are not necessarily as close as the seating chart suggests.
Large video screens are important for the more distant sections. The open-air format also means that sound, wind, temperature, and seat position can affect the experience.
For AC/DC, a space like this makes sense. Their songs are built on clear rhythms and choruses that travel easily through a large crowd. "Thunderstruck," "Back in Black," and "Highway to Hell" are not merely familiar recordings, but songs whose full impact emerges when the entire stadium sings them at the same time.
Tickets for this event are in demand. When choosing a seat, it is useful to think about the balance between proximity to the stage, the view of the production, and the ease of leaving after the concert, rather than focusing only on the lowest row number.
Santa Clara as a key stop on the North American leg
The Santa Clara concert follows the Las Vegas performance on August 1 and precedes the Edmonton concert on August 9. This places it at an important point on the route, between the southwestern part of the United States and the Canadian leg of the tour.
On the 2026 schedule, this is the only stop in the San Francisco Bay Area. Santa Clara is part of Silicon Valley and close to San Jose, so it makes sense to look for accommodation in Santa Clara, San Jose, or along the Caltrain corridor. Staying in downtown San Francisco requires a carefully planned return after the concert.
The day of the concert is not ideal for a packed sightseeing schedule. Traffic, security checks, and the departure of the audience can take more time than expected.
How to get there by public transportation
For this concert, VTA has announced increased service to Levi's Stadium. Great America Station is located next to the stadium and is the main arrival point by light rail. VTA has published a special schedule for AC/DC, with departures from several parts of Santa Clara County.
The most useful options are:
- From San Francisco and cities on the Peninsula: Caltrain to Mountain View Station, then the VTA Orange Line to Great America Station.
- From downtown San Jose: the VTA Green Line via Diridon Station and downtown toward the stadium.
- From the direction of Milpitas and the BART network: the VTA Orange Line connects Milpitas Station with the stadium area.
- From the Sacramento, Oakland, and East Bay areas: Capitol Corridor stops at Santa Clara-Great America Station, immediately next to the stadium.
For the concert, Caltrain has announced an additional northbound train from Mountain View that will depart 90 minutes after the concert ends and wait for the final special VTA connection. The last regular northbound train from Mountain View toward San Francisco departs at 11:48 PM, and the last regular southbound train at 1:04 AM. Because the end time of the concert is not predetermined, the additional connection reduces the risk of the audience being left without return transportation, but it is still important to head toward the appropriate station immediately after leaving.
VTA recommends purchasing a ticket before boarding. After the concert, follow the signs for your direction because the return platforms may be separated.
Arriving by car and parking
Levi's Stadium is located near Highways 101, 237, and 880, as well as several local expressways. This makes access easier from different directions, but it does not eliminate congestion. At events with tens of thousands of visitors, the biggest problem is often not the drive to Santa Clara, but the last few miles and leaving the parking lot after the concert.
The stadium recommends securing parking in advance. The possibility of paying by card on the day of the event exists only in a limited number of areas and depends on availability. The parking lots operate without cash, and each parking pass is valid for one vehicle in the designated area.
The parking pass should be saved on the phone, and the entrance for the assigned area should be checked. Temporary closures may change access, so traffic signs and staff instructions take priority over the route shown in an application.
Spaces and assistance are also available for people with limited mobility, with the appropriate permit and subject to availability.
Entry rules to check before departure
Levi's Stadium applies strict bag rules. Clear bags up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches, clear one-gallon plastic bags, and a small clutch approximately the size of a hand, up to 4.5 x 5 inches, are permitted. All bags are subject to inspection.
Food may be brought in only in clear packaging that complies with the bag rules, and fruit must be sliced. Sealed plastic water bottles are permitted. Camera rules limit lens size, while detachable lenses, camera bags, tripods, monopods, and selfie sticks are prohibited.
Re-entry after the ticket has been scanned is not permitted. Before security screening, make sure you have your phone, documents, medication, and hearing protection. The stadium operates without cash.
The opening time of the gates varies from event to event and has not yet been listed on the concert page. Arriving well before 7:00 PM reduces the risk of missing The Pretty Reckless, especially when time is needed for parking, security screening, and finding a seat in a large stadium.
How to plan the concert evening as effectively as possible
The best plan depends on the seat location and method of arrival, but several steps apply to most visitors:
- Download the ticket and transportation or parking confirmation before departure.
- Check the bag rules and leave unnecessary items at your accommodation or in the vehicle.
- Arrive early enough for The Pretty Reckless and the security screening.
- Protect your hearing with high-quality earplugs, especially if you are close to the stage or speakers.
- Agree on a meeting point with your group in case of a weak mobile signal.
- After the concert, head directly to your VTA, Caltrain, or parking area.
The concert will especially attract longtime fans who want to hear the key songs live once again, as well as audience members who have never experienced AC/DC in a stadium setting. Their catalog does not require prior knowledge of every album: a few opening riffs are enough for even a casual listener to join the atmosphere.
It is worth securing tickets in good time and planning the arrival just as seriously. At a stadium concert, the experience does not begin with the first chord, but with the choice of section, transportation, and entry time - and it does not end until tens of thousands of people have dispersed toward trains, light-rail vehicles, and parking lots.
Sources:
- AC/DC - POWER UP Tour 2026 schedule, current concert lineup, and career information.
- Sony Music and the AC/DC catalog - context of the POWER UP album, number of songs, and performance on international charts.
- Levi's Stadium - concert date, The Pretty Reckless, address, capacity, parking, and entry rules.
- VTA - specially organized transportation for AC/DC and the confirmed program start time.
- Caltrain - additional post-concert connection, transfer in Mountain View, and final regular departures.
- The Guardian and The Music - overview of the repertoire performed so far and the audience experience on the POWER UP tour.