diff --git a/tools/perf/lib/evlist.c b/tools/perf/lib/evlist.c
index 6a2308ef9868..5dda96b1d4da 100644
--- a/tools/perf/lib/evlist.c
+++ b/tools/perf/lib/evlist.c
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
 #include <perf/evlist.h>
+#include <perf/evsel.h>
 #include <linux/list.h>
 #include <internal/evlist.h>
 #include <internal/evsel.h>
@@ -114,3 +115,29 @@ void perf_evlist__set_maps(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
 
 	perf_evlist__propagate_maps(evlist);
 }
+
+int perf_evlist__open(struct perf_evlist *evlist)
+{
+	struct perf_evsel *evsel;
+	int err;
+
+	perf_evlist__for_each_entry(evlist, evsel) {
+		err = perf_evsel__open(evsel, evsel->cpus, evsel->threads);
+		if (err < 0)
+			goto out_err;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+
+out_err:
+	perf_evlist__close(evlist);
+	return err;
+}
+
+void perf_evlist__close(struct perf_evlist *evlist)
+{
+	struct perf_evsel *evsel;
+
+	perf_evlist__for_each_entry_reverse(evlist, evsel)
+		perf_evsel__close(evsel);
+}
diff --git a/tools/perf/lib/include/internal/evlist.h b/tools/perf/lib/include/internal/evlist.h
index b7b43dbc9b82..448891f06e3e 100644
--- a/tools/perf/lib/include/internal/evlist.h
+++ b/tools/perf/lib/include/internal/evlist.h
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 #ifndef __LIBPERF_INTERNAL_EVLIST_H
 #define __LIBPERF_INTERNAL_EVLIST_H
 
+#include <linux/list.h>
+
 struct perf_cpu_map;
 struct perf_thread_map;
 
@@ -13,4 +15,36 @@ struct perf_evlist {
 	struct perf_thread_map	*threads;
 };
 
+/**
+ * __perf_evlist__for_each_entry - iterate thru all the evsels
+ * @list: list_head instance to iterate
+ * @evsel: struct perf_evsel iterator
+ */
+#define __perf_evlist__for_each_entry(list, evsel) \
+	list_for_each_entry(evsel, list, node)
+
+/**
+ * evlist__for_each_entry - iterate thru all the evsels
+ * @evlist: perf_evlist instance to iterate
+ * @evsel: struct perf_evsel iterator
+ */
+#define perf_evlist__for_each_entry(evlist, evsel) \
+	__perf_evlist__for_each_entry(&(evlist)->entries, evsel)
+
+/**
+ * __perf_evlist__for_each_entry_reverse - iterate thru all the evsels in reverse order
+ * @list: list_head instance to iterate
+ * @evsel: struct evsel iterator
+ */
+#define __perf_evlist__for_each_entry_reverse(list, evsel) \
+	list_for_each_entry_reverse(evsel, list, node)
+
+/**
+ * perf_evlist__for_each_entry_reverse - iterate thru all the evsels in reverse order
+ * @evlist: evlist instance to iterate
+ * @evsel: struct evsel iterator
+ */
+#define perf_evlist__for_each_entry_reverse(evlist, evsel) \
+	__perf_evlist__for_each_entry_reverse(&(evlist)->entries, evsel)
+
 #endif /* __LIBPERF_INTERNAL_EVLIST_H */
diff --git a/tools/perf/lib/include/perf/evlist.h b/tools/perf/lib/include/perf/evlist.h
index b1d8dee018d6..6d3dda743541 100644
--- a/tools/perf/lib/include/perf/evlist.h
+++ b/tools/perf/lib/include/perf/evlist.h
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ LIBPERF_API struct perf_evlist *perf_evlist__new(void);
 LIBPERF_API void perf_evlist__delete(struct perf_evlist *evlist);
 LIBPERF_API struct perf_evsel* perf_evlist__next(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
 						 struct perf_evsel *evsel);
+LIBPERF_API int perf_evlist__open(struct perf_evlist *evlist);
+LIBPERF_API void perf_evlist__close(struct perf_evlist *evlist);
 
 #define perf_evlist__for_each_evsel(evlist, pos)	\
 	for ((pos) = perf_evlist__next((evlist), NULL);	\
diff --git a/tools/perf/lib/libperf.map b/tools/perf/lib/libperf.map
index 9f43b5cda031..4f966ddd5e53 100644
--- a/tools/perf/lib/libperf.map
+++ b/tools/perf/lib/libperf.map
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ LIBPERF_0.0.1 {
 		perf_evsel__threads;
 		perf_evlist__new;
 		perf_evlist__delete;
+		perf_evlist__open;
+		perf_evlist__close;
 		perf_evlist__init;
 		perf_evlist__add;
 		perf_evlist__remove;