Metallica’s 2026 M72 World Tour Detonation: “We’re Not Done Yet” – 16 New European Dates Set to Shatter Stadiums

In a midnight video drop that hit like the opening riff of “Master of Puppets,” Metallica just slammed the door on retirement rumors with the explosive reveal of 16 new 2026 European dates for their ongoing M72 World Tour—a thunderous extension that promises to reignite the continent with four decades of unrelenting metal fury.

James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and Robert Trujillo gathered on the same rain-soaked Emeryville stage where they filmed the 2023 announcement and delivered the battle cry: “We’re not done yet.”
The 62-second teaser—black-and-white footage of Hetfield growling the line amid lightning and crowd roars—unleashed chaos, crashing Ticketmaster sites and sending #M72Europe to #1 globally within minutes. At 44 years young as a band, Metallica isn’t slowing; they’re accelerating into year four of M72, the stadium spectacle born from 2023’s 72 Seasons album.

Kicking off May 9 at Athens’ Olympic Stadium, the run spans nine countries and features the tour’s signature “No Repeat Weekends”—two nights of entirely different setlists per city.
Frankfurt’s Deutsche Bank Park (May 22 & 24), Budapest’s Puskás Aréna (June 11 & 13), Dublin’s Aviva Stadium (June 19 & 21), and London’s Wembley Stadium (July 3 & 5) headline the highlights, with one-night blasts in Athens, Bucharest, Chorzów, Zurich, Berlin, Bologna, Glasgow, and Cardiff. “We’re hitting cities we haven’t rocked in decades,” Ulrich said in the announcement. “Cardiff since ’96? Time to make up for lost time.”

The production remains a beast: in-the-round stadium staging with the infamous Snake Pit at center stage, offering 360-degree immersion.
No repeats mean two unique Metallica sets per weekend, blending thrash classics like “Battery” and “Seek & Destroy” with 72 Seasons cuts like “Lux Æterna.” Enhanced experiences include Black Box Lounges for exclusive food and bev, stage tours, and the ultimate “I Disappear” pass for all 16 shows. Fans rave about the intimacy amid the scale: “It’s like headbanging in your living room—except the living room holds 80,000 maniacs.”

Opening acts are a metal dream team: Pantera returns for the No Repeat weekends, Gojira reunites from WorldWired days, while newcomers Knocked Loose and Avatar bring fresh fire.
Pantera’s Dimebag Darrell tribute vibes clash gloriously with Gojira’s eco-thrash, and Knocked Loose’s hardcore fury contrasts Avatar’s theatrical metal. “We’re curating chaos,” Hammett teased. “If it doesn’t make you lose your voice, we’re doing it wrong.”

Tickets erupted on sale May 30, 2025, but the frenzy started at announcement.
Presales for Fifth Members and Circle Club members vanished 1.2 million seats in 12 minutes. General sale crashed platforms in eight countries. Resale for London’s opener hit £4,500 by lunch. A viral clip of a 68-year-old Polish fan fainting from excitement in Chorzów has 14 million views. “Metallica at Stadion Śląski?” one tweet read. “It’s like God booking the Beatles for my backyard.”

Metallica’s M72 isn’t a tour—it’s a testament.
From Athens to Aviva, 16 nights where four thrash titans remind the world why metal endures: it’s not about the riffs; it’s about the roar that says “we survive together.”

“We’re not done yet” isn’t a slogan.
It’s a promise.
And in 2026, Europe gets to scream it back.