Metallica are reportedly in talks for a residency at the Las Vegas Sphere.
The futuristic state-of-the-art venue opened in 2023 and has since hosted residencies from the likes of U2, Phish, The Eagles and the Backstreet Boys. It was also recently confirmed that a new Sphere venue will be constructed in Abu Dhabi.
Now, it has been reported that Metallica may be the next to announce a stint at the Sphere. Local publication Vital Vegas said the band are “ready to ink a deal for a Sphere residency” in the city.
The site suggests that the heavy metal icons “could play Sphere in the fall of 2026”, following their ‘M72’ world tour, concluding, “but specifics haven’t been confirmed or announced yet.”
In April, Kirk Hammett said the band would love the chance to play the Sphere, saying it was a “great example of how venues are changing”. He added: “That’s using modern technology to the fullest, to really up the levels of production and entertainment, connected to AI and making it a crazy experience.”
The metal icons will be playing a string of stadium shows in the UK and Europe in 2026, including dates in Dublin, Glasgow, Cardiff and London. Opening sets will come from Gojira, Pantera, Knocked Loose and Avatar. See the full list of dates here and find any remaining tickets here.
In a four-star review of Metallica’s ‘M72’ tour opener in Amsterdam, NME wrote: “Metallica have always been a gateway band for heavy music, but there’s a renewed excitement around them now. Tonight’s surprising, ambitious and giddy gig matches that energy at every turn.”
U2 were the first band to play at the Sphere. NME give their performance a glowing five-star review, sharing that it “truly takes your breath away”.
“They pull off a dazzling series of technological tricks right from the outset as whirring drones whizz past the audience while everything from giant helicopters, falling letters, widescreen desert landscapes and even a projection of the Sphere itself come hurtling towards the audience,” it read.
The Sphere recently made headlines when Beyoncé removed images of the venue from the visuals of her ‘Cowboy Carter’ tour after being hit with a cease-and-desist from the owners.
In other Metallica news, the band appeared at Black Sabbath’s ‘Back To The Beginning’ farewell show last month, playing Sabbath’s ‘Hole In The Sky’ and ‘Johnny Blade’. The band paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, who died last month (July 22), only weeks after the concert, and they attended his funeral last week.
Metallica also provided new parts for Tomorrowland’s main stage last month, after the original was destroyed during a fire, which broke out less than 48 hours before the dance festival in Boom, Belgium, was set to kick off.
Elsewhere, they forced the US government to withdraw a social media video that made use of ‘Enter Sandman’ without authorisation.
Sharleen Spiteri joined BBC Radio 2’s The Sara Cox Breakfast Show ahead of Texas taking the stage to launch the main live music programme at Radio 2 in the Park in Stirling.
Checking in from rehearsals, the Texas frontwoman spoke about getting ready for the band’s opening performance at City Park. Radio 2’s annual flagship festival takes place there from 11 to 13 September 2026. "I’m match fit because I’ve had a couple of days’ rehearsals," Spiteri said. "We’re kicking the whole weekend off, which we’re very much looking forward to, so everybody’s got to get ready to party."
Before the live acts take over, Friday’s DJ Pre-Party gets the weekend started with Radio 2 favourites Sara Cox, DJ Spoony, Gary Davies, Michelle Visage, and Rylan behind the decks.
Jo Whiley helped set the mood with a special programme from Stirling’s Tolbooth venue. Working with BBC Introducing Scotland, the broadcast put the spotlight on Scotland’s emerging music scene through performances and conversations with Fright Years, Alice Faye, and James Emmanuel.
Fright Years, a four member band from Edinburgh, played "Never Been Wrong" and offered their take on Simple Minds’ "Waterfront." Glasgow singer and songwriter Alice Faye, the BBC Introducing in Scotland 2026 winner, paired "Some Brief Encounter" with a rendition of Lulu’s arrangement of "I Started a Joke." James Emmanuel, who was born in Nigeria and now lives in Edinburgh, sang "Brothers & Sisters" before taking on Chaka Khan’s "I’m Every Woman."
"We’re all about celebrating BBC Introducing and all the music that’s come out of Scotland," Whiley told listeners. "It's about celebrating the local music scene and the incredibly important work that BBC Introducing does to support independent, up-and-coming artists."
Joining the conversation were Stephanie Cheape, presenter of BBC Introducing in Scotland, Tara McLoughlin, venue manager for Stirling Council, and student radio presenters representing the University of Stirling’s Air3 Radio.
Listeners can catch the complete interviews and live performances from the weekend’s programmes on BBC Sounds.
