𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐇𝐞𝐭𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 — 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟓𝐭𝐡 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐥𝐞𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐜𝐡-𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝟕𝟐 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐫, 𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐮𝐦𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧..

1. ### Metallica Ignites the Metal Universe: M72 World Tour 2026 Leg Officially Unleashed

Hell yeah—James Hetfield and the unbreakable thrash titans of Metallica (Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and Robert Trujillo) just dropped a seismic bombshell on November 5, 2025, confirming the full rollout of the 2026 European leg for their genre-shattering **M72 World Tour**. This isn’t just a tour extension; it’s a global domination blueprint, set to pulverize stadiums from the Mediterranean heat to the British fog, building on the chaos of *72 Seasons* and delivering over four decades of riff-driven apocalypse. With the tour already clocking millions of fans since its 2023 kickoff, this chapter promises fresh carnage for headbangers worldwide.

#### The Beast Awakens: Tour Dates and No-Repeat Mayhem
Kicking off in spring 2026, the leg spans **16 shows across 9 countries**, blending one-night infernos with Metallica’s signature **No Repeat Weekends**—two-night stands where setlists are 100% unique (no song repeated), split support acts, and enough adrenaline to fuel a small riot. Expect the in-the-round midfield stage setup, complete with the infamous central **Snake Pit** for 360° immersion, plus Enhanced Experiences like meet-and-greets, stage tours, and the ultimate “I Disappear Ticket” for multi-show marathons.

Here’s the full slate (all times local; tickets via Live Nation and Metallica.com presales starting late 2025—grab ’em fast, these sell out like *Master of Puppets* vinyl):

| Date | City/Country | Venue | Show Type | Support Acts (Night 1 / Night 2) |
|—————|———————–|————————|——————–|———————————-|
| May 9, 2026 | Athens, Greece | Olympic Stadium | One Night Only | Gojira + Knocked Loose |
| May 13, 2026 | Bucharest, Romania | Arena Națională | One Night Only | Pantera + Avatar |
| May 19, 2026 | Chorzów, Poland | Stadion Śląski | One Night Only | Gojira + Knocked Loose |
| May 22-24, 2026 | Frankfurt, Germany | Deutsche Bank Park | No Repeat Weekend| Gojira + Knocked Loose / Pantera + Avatar |
| May 28, 2026 | Munich, Germany | Olympiastadion | One Night Only | Pantera + Avatar |
| June 2-4, 2026 | Budapest, Hungary | Puskás Aréna | No Repeat Weekend| Gojira + Knocked Loose / Pantera + Avatar |
| June 11-13, 2026 | Dublin, Ireland | Croke Park | No Repeat Weekend| Gojira + Knocked Loose / Pantera + Avatar |
| June 25, 2026| Glasgow, Scotland | Hampden Park | One Night Only | Gojira + Knocked Loose |
| June 28, 2026| Cardiff, Wales | Principality Stadium | One Night Only | Pantera + Avatar |
| July 3-5, 2026 | London, England | London Stadium | No Repeat Weekend| Gojira + Knocked Loose / Pantera + Avatar |

*Notes*: First visits to Athens and Bucharest since the ’90s; Frankfurt and London mark returns after 15+ years. Proceeds partially fuel Metallica’s All Within My Hands foundation, which has donated $20M+ to education, hunger relief, and disaster aid—because thrash isn’t just loud; it’s purposeful.

#### The Support Slaughter: A Metal Dream Team
This leg reunites Metallica with heavy-hitters and injects fresh blood:
– **Gojira**: Eco-thrash wizards from the *WorldWired* era—expect prog-metal grooves with a side of environmental fury.
– **Pantera**: Groove-metal legends returning as M72 vets; Phil Anselmo’s snarl will make your neck snap.
– **Knocked Loose**: Hardcore punks bringing venomous breakdowns to prime the pit.
– **Avatar**: Theatrical Swedes adding circus-of-death flair—think *Hail the Apocalypse* on steroids.

No overlaps on No Repeat nights, so Night 1 might hit you with Gojira’s precision blasts, while Night 2 unleashes Pantera’s southern sludge.

#### Why This Leg Redefines Epic
Critics are already losing it: Billboard calls M72 “life-affirming,” Metal Hammer dubs it “epic,” and the Detroit News labels it a “stone-cold stunner.”<grok:render card_id=”284069″ card_type=”citation_card” type=”render_inline_citation”>
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</grok:render> Hetfield’s gravel-throated philosophy shines through—resilience forged in fire, turning sweat-soaked crowds into cathartic cults. From *Enter Sandman* anthems to *Lux Æterna* fresh cuts, expect setlists spanning 40+ years, plus those extracurricular fan hangs (check the Official Metallica Discord’s ‘tour’ channel or #M72 tags).

If you’re not in Europe, the M72 machine doesn’t stop: Wrap up 2025 with the December 6 Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix afterparty gig, then pivot to this 2026 blitz.<grok:render card_id=”b51bfd” card_type=”citation_card” type=”render_inline_citation”>
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</grok:render> Bonus: Bon Jovi’s even cribbing the No Repeat format for their 2026 run—Metallica’s influence runs eternal.<grok:render card_id=”674f69″ card_type=”citation_card” type=”render_inline_citation”>
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For tickets, presale codes, or to join the family: Head to [Metallica.com/tour](https://www.metallica.com/tour/). Who’s ready to disappear into the Snake Pit? \m/ Stay heavy, metalheads—this beast is just warming up.