BABYMETAL Is Bringing Halestorm and Violent Vira on a Massive North American Tour
BABYMETAL just announced one of the most stacked touring packages of the year. The Japanese pop-metal trio is bringing Halestorm and Violent Vira along for a 20-date North American run this summer and fall, hitting amphitheatres and arenas from late August through early October. If you've been waiting for a reason to finally see this band live, here it is.
The announcement dropped on Fox Day, which longtime fans know is basically a holiday in the BABYMETAL world. And the timing couldn't be better. Their album Metal Forth debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200, making them the first all-Japanese fronted group to ever land in the U.S. Top 10. That record moved 36,000 equivalent album units in its first week and has racked up over 200 million global streams. This tour is the victory lap.
Tour Dates
The tour kicks off August 30 in San Diego at Petco Park, where BABYMETAL will be supporting My Chemical Romance. From there, the headlining run with Halestorm and Violent Vira takes over, working its way across the U.S. and into Canada before wrapping at Aftershock Festival in Sacramento on October 3. Here's the full routing:
August 30 — San Diego, CA @ Petco Park (supporting My Chemical Romance)
September 2 - Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
September 4 - Chicago, IL @ Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
September 5 - Noblesville, IN @ Ruoff Music Center
September 7 - Toronto, ON @ RBC Amphitheatre
September 9 - Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
September 10 - Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center
September 12 - Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live
September 13 - Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
September 15 - Charlotte, NC @ Truliant Amphitheater
September 16 - Alpharetta, GA @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
September 18 - Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre
September 19 - Louisville, KY @ Louder Than Life Festival
September 21 - St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
September 23 - Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion
September 25 - The Woodlands, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
September 26 - Austin, TX @ Germania Insurance Amphitheater
September 29 - Albuquerque, NM @ First Financial Credit Union Amphitheatre
October 1 - Phoenix, AZ @ Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
October 3 - Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock Festival
The Support
I'll be real, the support lineup on this one is excellent. Halestorm needs no introduction. Lzzy Hale and crew have been one of the most consistent forces in rock for over two decades now. They're Grammy winners, road warriors, and honestly one of the best live acts in the game. If you've somehow never caught them, this tour fixes that.
Then there's Violent Vira, who is on a serious rise right now. The Dallas-based singer of Mexican-American descent has been quietly building a massive fanbase, with her single I Don't Care pulling in over 64 million Spotify streams. She's sitting at 1.8 million monthly listeners and climbing. Getting this slot on a tour of this size is going to be a huge moment for her.
Metal Forth Deluxe Edition
On top of the tour news, BABYMETAL also confirmed that a deluxe edition of Metal Forth is coming June 26 via Capitol Records. The deluxe version includes three live performances and two remixes, one from Major Lazer and one from Jordan Fish, both reworking the standout track From Me To U featuring Poppy. The vinyl release will feature a zoetrope design with ten icons from the record brought to life in motion. That's a collector's piece for sure.
The original album was already a landmark release. Metal Forth featured collaborations with Tom Morello, Polyphia, Spiritbox, Electric Callboy, Bloodywood, and Slaughter to Prevail. That's a ridiculous spread of talent from across the globe. The album was also the first BABYMETAL record to feature Momometal as an official member after she joined the group in 2023, and the first since the band signed to Capitol Records.
Why This Tour Matters
BABYMETAL has been doing this for over 15 years now. They've opened for Red Hot Chili Peppers, Korn, and Lady Gaga. They've built one of the most dedicated fanbases in all of heavy music. And with Su-Metal, Moametal, and Momometal fronting the charge, they've helped reshape what the face of metal looks like for an entire generation of women and girls. This isn't just a tour. It's a statement that BABYMETAL is operating at a level they've never hit before.
Tickets and Presales
Artist presales start Monday, April 6 at 10 a.m. local time, with a Citi presale also beginning that same day. Additional presales will run throughout the week. General public on-sale is Friday, April 10 at 10 a.m. local time. You can grab tickets through Ticketmaster, Live Nation, and AXS depending on the venue.
With a bill this strong, these amphitheatre shows are going to move fast. Don't sleep on this one.
Cover photo courtesy of Ticketmaster