Metallica launched the 2026 leg of their “M72 World Tour” on Saturday night, May 9, with a sold-out performance at the Olympic Stadium in Athens. The concert, which reportedly drew 85,000 fans, marked the heavy metal icons’ first appearance in Greece since 2010 and their fifth performance in the country overall.
A significant highlight of the evening involved guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo, who performed a specialized instrumental interlude known to fans as a “doodle.” During this segment, the duo paid tribute to local Greek musical history by performing “Zorba’s Dance“. The composition, written by the late Mikis Theodorakis, gained international fame through the 1964 film “Zorba The Greek” and remains one of the most recognizable pieces of Greek music worldwide.
The tribute continued as Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo performed “Den Horas Pouthena” (translated as “You Don’t Fit Anywhere“), a track originally by the legendary Greek rock band Tripes. These localized covers have become a staple of the “M72” tour, featuring stripped-down arrangements of guitar and bass that often diverge from the band’s traditional thrash metal sound.
The Athens show featured support from Gojira and Knocked Loose. The show is part of a broader global cycle supporting the band’s eleventh studio album, 72 Seasons, which arrived in 2023. Since the tour’s inception in Amsterdam in April 2023, Metallica has performed for approximately four million fans across the globe.
Consistent with the band’s philanthropic initiatives, a portion of the proceeds from the Athens ticket sales is being donated to local charities through the “All Within My Hands” foundation. Established by Metallica in 2017, the foundation has raised more than $20 million to support vocational education, food insecurity relief, and various disaster response efforts.
Prior to the 2026 tour kickoff, the group last performed in December 2025 in Abu Dhabi. Metallica previously visited Greece for concerts in 1993, 1999, 2007, and 2010. The band will continue their European stadium run throughout May and June before returning to North America later this year for a residency in Las Vegas.
European Tour Dates:
- May 13, 2026 – Bucharest, Romania – Arena Națională (Support: Gojira & Knocked Loose)
- May 19, 2026 – Chorzów, Poland – Stadion Śląski (Support: Gojira & Knocked Loose)
- May 22, 2026 – Frankfurt, Germany – Deutsche Bank Park (Support: Gojira & Knocked Loose)
- May 24, 2026 – Frankfurt, Germany – Deutsche Bank Park (Support: Pantera & Avatar)
- May 27, 2026 – Zürich, Switzerland – Stadion Letzigrund (Support: Gojira & Knocked Loose)
- May 30, 2026 – Berlin, Germany – Olympiastadion (Support: Gojira & Knocked Loose)
- June 3, 2026 – Bologna, Italy – Stadio Renato Dall’Ara (Support: Gojira & Knocked Loose)
- June 11, 2026 – Budapest, Hungary – Puskas Arena (Support: Pantera & Avatar)
- June 13, 2026 – Budapest, Hungary – Puskas Arena (Support: Gojira & Knocked Loose)
- June 19, 2026 – Dublin, Ireland – Aviva Stadium (Support: Pantera & Avatar)
- June 21, 2026 – Dublin, Ireland – Aviva Stadium (Support: Gojira & Knocked Loose)
- June 25, 2026 – Glasgow, Scotland – Hampden Park (Support: Gojira & Knocked Loose)
- June 28, 2026 – Cardiff, Wales – Principality Stadium (Support: Gojira & Knocked Loose)
- July 3, 2026 – London, England – London Stadium (Support: Gojira & Knocked Loose)
- July 5, 2026 – London, England – London Stadium (Support: Pantera & Avatar)
