Metallica Officially Playing Las Vegas Sphere

Metallica just checked off another first-time achievement as they will become the first metal band to play the Sphere in Las Vegas, having just announced a 2026 residency.

The two-plus billion dollar venue in “Sin City” has already welcomed an elite handful of rock artists — U2, Eagles, Dead & Company, Phish and No Doubt — and now thrash will reign this fall.

Dubbed Metallica: Life Burns Faster, this residency will feature eight shows spanning four weekends starting Oct. 1 (Thursday) and 3 (Saturday).

Lars Ulrich excited for the opportunity, exclaims, “About 12 seconds into the opening night of the Sphere with U2 back in ‘23, I thought ‘We have to do this, it’s completely uncharted territory!’ This residency gives us another chance to reinvent how we interact with our fans in a live setting. We are beyond excited to share this with the world in six months time, and way fuckin’ psyched to go next level!”

See dates and ticketing information below.

Metallica Las Vegas Sphere Residency 2026 Dates

Each weekend will feature two different setlists, as Metallica have been doing on most of their M72 world tour.

Oct. 1 and 3
Oct. 15 and 17
Oct. 22 and 24
Oct. 29 and 31

See a teaser trailer below.

READ MORE: 8 Essential Thrash Albums Every Metalhead Should Own on Vinyl

Metallica Las Vegas Sphere Tickets + Presales

The general on-sale for Metallica: Life Burns Faster at the Sphere in Las Vegas begins at 10AM ET on March 6.

Fans can sign up for presales a travel and VIP presale on Feb. 27 at 2PM ET and a seated registration presale on March 3 at 10AM ET.

Visit the Metallica website for more ticketing information.

Enter to Win Tickets to Metallica’s Sphere Residency

Loudwire is hosting a contest where one winner will get a chance to see Metallica: Life Burns Faster at the Sphere in Las Vegas this fall.

The winner receives:

• Two P1 Premium Reserved tickets for Thursday (Oct. 1) and two P1 Premium Reserved tickets for Saturday (Oct. 3) on opening weekend
• Three-night hotel stay
• Roundtrip airfare for two

For more details and to enter for a chance to win, head to the Metallica: Life Burns Faster contest page. You can also use the entry form below.

Below, take a tour of thrash metal through the years! We’ve named the best thrash album of each year, starting with 1983 when Metallica kickstarted it all.