Dancing with himself and the rest of LA: It’s Billy Idol Day with free City Hall concert

The rain arrived just as Billy Idol stepped onto the stairs of Los Angeles City Hall on Friday, but hundreds of fans gathered alongside North Spring Street weren’t about to let a little wet weather spoil the celebration.

The British rock icon, who has called Los Angeles home for nearly four decades, was honored by the City Council with a proclamation declaring Nov. 13, 2026, “Billy Idol Day,” followed by a free acoustic performance with his longtime guitarist and musical collaborator Steve Stevens.

Under overcast skies, fans packed the streets outside City Hall, with the crowd spilling toward Gloria Molina Grand Park. Many stood without umbrellas, waving handmade signs and shouting, “Love you, Billy!” as the musician, sporting his signature spiky blond hair and a studded black leather jacket, waved back. Stevens stood alongside him, dressed in black with his long dark hair and sunglasses.

The drizzle stopped shortly before the music began, and Idol and Stevens opened their set with “Dancing with Myself,” drawing cheers from the crowd.

Fans wait for Billy Idol and guitarist Steve Stevens to perform a concert on the steps of Los Angeles City Hall on Friday, November 13, 2026. City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez declared Friday “Billy Idol Day” in Los Angeles, recognizing the England-born Idol’s contributions to music and his longstanding connection to the city he has called home since 1987. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Billy Idol and guitarist Steve Stevens perform a concert on the steps of Los Angeles City Hall on Friday, November 13, 2026. City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez declared Friday “Billy Idol Day” in Los Angeles, recognizing the England-born Idol’s contributions to music and his longstanding connection to the city he has called home since 1987. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Radio legend Richard Blade talks about the career of music legend Billy Idol before Idol and guitarist Steve Stevens perform a concert on the steps of Los Angeles City Hall on Friday, November 13, 2026. City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez declared Friday “Billy Idol Day” in Los Angeles, recognizing the England-born Idol’s contributions to music and his longstanding connection to the city he has called home since 1987. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Corina Cline enjoys herself before Billy Idol and guitarist Steve Stevens perform a concert on the steps of Los Angeles City Hall on Friday, November 13, 2026. City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez declared Friday “Billy Idol Day” in Los Angeles, recognizing the England-born Idol’s contributions to music and his longstanding connection to the city he has called home since 1987. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Billy Idol waves to fans before performing a concert on the steps of Los Angeles City Hall on Friday, November 13, 2026. City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez declared Friday “Billy Idol Day” in Los Angeles, recognizing the England-born Idol’s contributions to music and his longstanding connection to the city he has called home since 1987. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

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Earlier in the day, Councilmember Monica Rodriguez presented the two musicians with special recognition inside the council chamber, celebrating their decades-long careers and contributions to rock music.

Idol, who moved to Los Angeles in 1987, credited the city with helping him fulfill a childhood dream of making a living as a musician. Much of his music, he told council members, was written or recorded here.

“I think cities give you something back, you know, as long as you give, they give you something back,” Idol said. “That’s what I’ve got. I’ve got a lot from living here. I’ve enjoyed it. I’m going to go on living here.”

And despite suggestions that he leave Los Angeles, Idol made clear he has no plans to go anywhere else.

“Some people kept telling me to move, but I’m still here,” he said.

The celebration came one day before the pair’s induction into the 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, scheduled for Saturday at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

Born William Michael Albert Broad in England, Idol first emerged from London’s punk scene as the frontman of Generation X before finding mainstream success as a solo artist in the 1980s. With his spiky platinum blonde hair, trademark sneer, and hits such as “White Wedding,” “Rebel Yell” and “Eyes Without a Face,” he became one of the defining faces of the MTV era.

Stevens, whose distinctive guitar riffs helped define Idol’s sound, has been a key collaborator throughout much of his solo career. The pair’s musical partnership has spanned decades, including some of Idol’s biggest hits.

Rodriguez recalled watching Idol perform at the Hollywood Bowl in 2017, describing the experience as a return to the days when his music videos were fixtures on television.

“It was like watching MTV all over again,” Rodriguez said. ”The energy is still there, the passion, the sound.”

That appeal was evident among fans of different generations Friday.

Kimberly Smerkers, 60, drove from Reno, Nevada, Thursday night with her 22-year-old son, Brenden Bass, to attend Friday’s performance and Saturday’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

A fan for four decades, Smerkers said she began preparing for the trip as early as August.

“I think I had the snacks packed in August,” she said. “I have my outfit already picked out.”

Bass, who grew up listening to Idol through his mother, said he developed his own interest in music, with punk-rock becoming his go-to genre.

As for the possibility of rain, Smerkers wasn’t bothered.

“It doesn’t matter,” she said. “I can dry off.”

Janely Camacho, 28, of Cypress Park, attended the performance with her boyfriend. She said she began listening to Idol at age 5, thanks to her father’s love of rock music, and recalled laughing with him in their backyard as his music played.

“I just like how he’s a rebel,” Camacho said, adding with a laugh that she thought he was cute when she was little.

She took the day off work to see Idol perform and said it was remarkable to watch an artist she grew up listening to receive his own day in Los Angeles.

For Bernice Fontanills of Palmdale, the celebration was especially personal. She turned 59 on Friday and attended the event with her husband, John Svalbe, 60.

A fan since the 1980s, Fontanills had a chance to speak with Idol shortly before the proclamation. She called seeing him the “best present ever.”

With her birthday now sharing a date with Billy Idol Day, Fontanills already had an idea for how to celebrate in the future.

“We’ll have to open a bottle of champagne and toast,” she said.

Then, borrowing the title of one of Idol’s best-known songs, Fontanills added: I’ll dance with myself.”

Dancing with himself and the rest of LA: It’s Billy Idol Day with free City Hall concert

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