Metallica Announces Epic Global M72 World Tour — 32 Cities, New Dates Across Continents
Metallica, the iconic American heavy metal band, has officially confirmed an expansive new leg of their M72 World Tour, extending the record-breaking trek into 2025 and 2026 with stops across 32 cities worldwide. The announcement, highlighted in coverage by major outlets including BBC reporting on the UK and European leg, has sent shockwaves through the global music community and delighted fans who have awaited major stadium dates from one of rock’s most enduring acts.
The M72 World Tour — named in support of Metallica’s 11th studio album, 72 Seasons — originally kicked off in April 2023 and has grown into one of the most ambitious and profitable live concert cycles ever. Since then, it has played to millions of fans across multiple continents, breaking attendance records and redefining large-scale stadium touring.
—
A Truly Global Trek: Dates and Cities
Metallica’s 2025-2026 tour slate expands to include dozens of major metropolitan centres across Europe, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East and beyond. While the band hasn’t released a single consolidated list of all 32 dates in one BBC article, confirmed portions of the itinerary — including new announcements and media coverage — show the breadth and scale of the tour:
2025 / Oceania and Middle East
Australia & New Zealand: November 2025 dates in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Auckland mark Metallica’s first shows in the region in over a decade, with support from Evanescence and Suicidal Tendencies.
Middle East: Late 2025 headline performances in the United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi) and potentially at the Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix after-party — showcasing the tour’s crossover appeal beyond traditional rock markets.
2026 / Europe and the UK
In the spring and summer of 2026, Metallica will bring the M72 World Tour back to Europe and the UK, highlighting a sequence of massive stadium concerts:
Southern and Central Europe:
– 9 May – Athens, Greece — Olympic Stadium
– 13 May – Bucharest, Romania — Arena Națională
– 19 May – Chorzów, Poland — Stadion Śląski
– 22 & 24 May – Frankfurt, Germany — Deutsche Bank Park
– 27 May – Zurich, Switzerland — Stadion Letzigrund
– 30 May – Berlin, Germany — Olympiastadion
– 3 June – Bologna, Italy — Stadio Renato Dall’Ara
– 11 & 13 June – Budapest, Hungary — Puskás Aréna
UK & Ireland Dates:
– 19 & 21 June – Dublin, Ireland — Aviva Stadium
– 25 June – Glasgow, Scotland — Hampden Park
– 28 June – Cardiff, Wales — Principality Stadium
– 3 & 5 July – London, England — London Stadium (a pair of “No Repeat Weekend” shows with distinct set lists)
Taken together, these European dates add up to at least 16 shows — and when combined with confirmed 2025 and other global dates, they form part of the 32-city global itinerary widely reported in music news coverage.
—
What Makes the Tour Special
No Repeat Weekends
Metallica’s M72 tour continues the band’s unique “No Repeat Weekend” approach — performing completely different set lists on each night in the same city. This bold choice elevates the live experience, encouraging fans to attend multiple shows and showcasing the full depth of Metallica’s four-decade catalogue.
Beyond typical greatest hits, the band often rotates deep cuts, new tracks, and fan-favourite rarities so that repeat attendees see a truly unique event each night.
Stage Design & Production
A hallmark of this tour is the stadium-in-the-round production — a circular stage with the famed Snake Pit at midfield, designed to give fans a 360-degree view of the band. This choice reflects Metallica’s continued commitment to innovation in live performance even after more than 40 years as a band.
Supporting Acts
The tour’s supporting lineup across different legs has featured notable heavy and alternative acts — including Gojira, Pantera, Knocked Loose, Avatar, Evanscence, Suicidal Tendencies and more — blending generations of metal influences and offering fans a diverse concert experience.
—
Beyond the Music: Charitable Impact
A portion of ticket revenues from the M72 World Tour is directed to Metallica’s own charity, the All Within My Hands Foundation. Established in 2017, the foundation has donated millions to support career and technical education, disaster relief, food insecurity initiatives, and other community programs in cities the band visits — reinforcing the tour’s cultural impact beyond entertainment.
—
Fan and Industry Response
Reaction to the announcement has been enthusiastic, with fans across social media and music forums celebrating Metallica’s return to long-awaited cities like Cardiff and Frankfurt — some of which have not hosted the band for many years. Several UK and European fans noted that shows in Glasgow and Cardiff mark historic milestones for local rock communities.
Industry analysts also point to the tour’s record-breaking figures and multi-year scope as evidence of Metallica’s enduring commercial might. Their ability to sustain a global tour for multiple years — spanning 2023 through at least mid-2026 — places M72 among the most ambitious tours in live music history.
—
What’s Next?
Tickets for many 2026 European and UK dates went on general sale in May 2025, with fan-club presales beginning earlier that month. For cities not yet on public sale, fans are advised to sign up for alerts via Metallica’s official channels or Ticketmaster listings to secure seats ahead of sell-outs.
As the band continues touring through next year and beyond, additional legs — potentially including Asia, South America and expanded North American dates — are widely speculated but not yet formally confirmed.
Leave a Reply