Metallica Breaks Attendance Record at Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece on M72 World Tour

Metallica is still on their extensive world tour that started back in 2023. The M72 World Tour was originally launched to support their 2023 release 72 Seasons. The tour has been extended into 2026 and will wrap up on July 5, 2026, in London. There have been 8 legs of the tour since April 27, 2023. Many supporting acts have joined the tour, including Mammoth, Architects, Ice Nine Kills, Pantera, Knocked Loose, and many more.

On Saturday, May 9, Metallica played at Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece. They played an energetic 16-song set, concluding with their iconic hit “Enter Sandman.” Following the performance, the band posted on Instagram a message for fans who attended, “Wow! Massive thanks to the Metallica Family in Greece for setting a new attendance record Saturday night at Athens Olympic Stadium! 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 seating capacity for the stadium is 75,000, but Metallica’s tour includes a circular in-the-round stage. This stage set-up allowed for more attendees and thus broke the attendance record. Metallica’s M72 World Tour has broken attendance records before. Back in 2023, the band beat Taylor Swift’s concert attendance at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium. Approximately 75,000 attended each of two concerts at the stadium during the same weekend.

Metallica’s First Ever Residency at the Las Vegas Sphere Begins Later This Year

The next stop on the M72 World Tour is set for May 13 in Bucharest, Romania. They continue the tour throughout Europe and then the UK, wrapping up in London on July 5. Metallica will then set their sights on a 26-show residency at The Sphere in Las Vegas. The residency runs from October 1, 2026, to March 13, 2027, and will be the band’s first time playing the venue.

The Sphere is a large entertainment arena in Paradise, Nevada located near the Las Vegas Strip. It’s known for immersive audio-visual experiences with a 16k wrap-around, LED screen. It has an advanced sound setup and 4D effects as well, and seats 20,000 attendees. The arena hosts concerts and films and has become a premier attraction over recent years.

Since opening in 2023, many bands and artists have held residencies at The Sphere, including U2, Phish, Dead & Company, and The Eagles.