Metallica Makes History as First Metal Band to Play Las Vegas Sphere

I'll be real, when I saw this announcement drop I had to read it twice. Metallica just became the first metal band ever to book the Las Vegas Sphere. Eight shows starting this October. This is going to be completely uncharted territory.

The residency is called Metallica: Life Burns Faster and it spans four weekends starting October 1st and 3rd. They're doing their no-repeat weekend format, so each Thursday and Saturday pairing gets completely different setlists. October 15 & 17, October 22 & 24, and October 29 & 31 round out the run.

Why This Is Massive

The Sphere isn't just another venue. This $2.3 billion beast has a 16K wraparound LED screen, speakers with beamforming technology, and 4D physical effects. Only U2, Eagles, Dead & Company, Phish, and No Doubt have played there since it opened in September 2023. Now Metallica gets to bring thrash metal to the most technologically advanced venue on the planet.

Lars Ulrich put it perfectly: "About 12 seconds into the opening night of the Sphere with U2 back in '23, I thought 'We have to do this, it's completely uncharted territory!' This residency gives us another chance to reinvent how we interact with our fans in a live setting. We are beyond excited to share this with the world in six months time, and way fuckin' psyched to go next level!"

Perfect Timing

This announcement comes right in the middle of their massive M72 World Tour supporting 72 Seasons, which dropped in April 2023. That tour has already grossed over $517 million with 4.23 million people in attendance. It's literally the 17th highest grossing tour of all time.

The M72 tour runs through July 2026, so these Sphere dates slot in perfectly during what's already shaping up to be one of the biggest metal tours ever.

How to Get Tickets

General on-sale starts March 6th at 10AM ET through Ticketmaster. But there are multiple presales happening first.

Travel package presales start February 27th (7AM PT for Legacy Members, 9AM PT for Fifth Members). Fan club presale kicks off March 2nd for Enhanced Experience tickets. SiriusXM subscribers get access March 5th at 10AM PT with code SIRIUSXM.

Travel packages through metallicatravel.com include tickets to both shows each weekend, three nights at The Venetian or Virgin Hotels, limited merch, and concierge service. They've got everything from meet & greets to Snake Pit access.

This is one of those once-in-a-lifetime concert experiences. Metallica in the most insane venue ever built, with immersive visuals that'll make every other concert feel basic. Don't sleep on this one.

Cover photo courtesy of Ticketmaster