Metallica made concert history during their first performance of 2026, setting an all-time attendance record at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece. The show, which took place on Saturday, May 9, served as the opening date for the newest leg of the band’s ongoing “M72 World Tour“.
On Monday, the heavy metal legends confirmed via social media that the event drew more than 90,000 fans, surpassing the venue’s typical seating capacity of approximately 75,000. Metallica credited the massive turnout to their unique “in-the-round” stage design, which occupies the center of the stadium floor and eliminates the traditional “behind-the-stage” sightline restrictions that usually leave sections of seats empty.
In a statement shared with their followers, Metallica expressed their gratitude for the record-breaking crowd:
“Over 90,000 of you packed in and trust us… we could feel it! We couldn’t think of a better way to kick off this leg of the M72 World Tour,” the band wrote.
The performance featured a 16-song setlist that spanned the group’s four-decade career.
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”
This is not the first time the “M72 World Tour” has broken stadium records. In August 2023, Metallica surpassed previous attendance figures set by Taylor Swift at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, drawing roughly 78,000 fans per night over a single weekend.
The band’s current tour schedule continues this week with a performance in Bucharest, Romania. Later this year, Metallica will transition to a highly anticipated concert residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Those shows are scheduled to begin in October and will run through March 2027.
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)
