Metallica played their first show of 2026 on Saturday, May 9th, at Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece, delivering a career-spanning 16-song set.
With Athens not being one of “No Repeat Weekend” stops on the band’s long-running “M72 World Tour,” Metallica packed the set with classics. Whereas fans would have to attend two concerts in other cities to hear both “Master of Puppets” and “Enter Sandman,” the audience was treated to them both to close out the show on Saturday.
Overall, Metallica performed five songs from their 1991 mega-selling “Black Album,” including “The Unforgiven,” “Wherever I May Roam,” “Nothing Else Matters,” and “Sad but True,” in addition to the aforementioned “Enter Sandman.”
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Ride the Lightning was also well represented, with “Creeping Death,” “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” and “Fade to Black” played from the band’s 1984 sophomore album. Aside from those two LPs, there was no more than one song performed from any other album.
As with other shows on the “M72” tour, bassist Rob Trujillo and guitarist Kirk Hammett teamed up for a “doodle” jam celebrating music local to the venue, this time playing “Zorba’s Dance” and Trypes’ “Den Choras Pouthena.”
Metallica’s UK/European tour will run through a two-night stand in London on June 3rd and 5th, with tickets to the remaining shows available here.
After a long break in the summer, Metallica will kick off their 24-date “Life Burns Faster” residency at Las Vegas’ Sphere, performing “No Repeat Weekend” shows on select Thursdays and Saturdays from October 1st, 2026, through March 13th, 2027. The band is also playing two nights at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, on November 19th and 21st.
Tickets to Metallica’s Sphere residency and to the two Connecticut shows are available here. See video footage and the setlist from the Athens concert below.
Setlist:
Creeping Death
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Moth Into Flame
King Nothing
Lux Æterna
The Unforgiven
Fuel
Kirk and Rob Doodle (“Zorba’s Dance,” Trypes’ “Den Choras Pouthena”)
Fade to Black
Wherever I May Roam
Nothing Else Matters
Sad but True
One
Seek & Destroy
Master of Puppets
Enter Sandman