Metallica officially launched the 2026 European leg of their global tour on Saturday night, delivering a career-spanning set at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece. This performance marked the first time the heavy metal icons have taken the stage since their appearance at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December 2025, setting a massive tone for the months ahead.
While the ongoing M72 World Tour has frequently utilized a “No Repeat Weekend” format featuring two nights in each city, the Athens concert was a single-night engagement. This led to a condensed, high-impact setlist that prioritized the band’s most enduring hits for the Greek audience.
The 16-song performance opened with the high-speed classic “Creeping Death” and maintained a steady pace before concluding with the global anthem “Enter Sandman“. Throughout the night, the group balanced their foundational thrash roots with more recent material, including tracks like “Lux Aeterna” and “Moth Into Flame“.
A major highlight of the evening occurred during the instrumental interlude typically reserved for bassist Robert Trujillo and guitarist Kirk Hammett. Continuing their tradition of paying homage to the local culture of each tour stop, the duo performed a rendition of “Zorba’s Dance” from the 1964 film “Zorba the Greek“. They followed this with a cover of “De Horas Pouthena” by the Greek experimental metal outfit Trypes, a tribute that drew a massive response from the stadium crowd.
The setlist remained focused on staples from the band’s 1980s and early 1990s era, featuring “For Whom the Bell Tolls“, “Fade to Black“, “One”, and “Master of Puppets“. The emotional centerpiece of the night arrived with “Nothing Else Matters“, which provided a brief pause before the band surged into the final heavy stretch of the show.
Metallica is scheduled to continue their European run through May and June, with a routing that alternates between one-night stadium shows and two-night engagements across the continent and the United Kingdom. Upcoming stops include major cities in Romania, Poland, Germany, Italy, and England. The band is joined by a rotating cast of special guests, including Gojira, Knocked Loose, Pantera, and Avatar.
Once the European dates conclude, the group will return to North America for a highly anticipated residency. Starting October 1, Metallica will begin a 24-date run at the Sphere in Las Vegas, with all scheduled performances already sold out.
Athens, Greece Setlist:
- “Creeping Death”
- “For Whom the Bell Tolls”
- “Moth Into Flame”
- “King Nothing”
- “Lux Aeterna”
- “The Unforgiven”
- “Fuel”
- “Zorba’s Dance” / “De Horas Pouthena”
- “Fade to Black”
- “Wherever I May Roam”
- “Nothing Else Matters”
- “Sad But True”
- “One”
- “Seek & Destroy”
- “Master of Puppets”
- “Enter Sandman”
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)
