It’s no secret that Metallica have always had a taste for going big, and now it sounds like they’ve set their sights on two of the loudest stages imaginable.
Namely: the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show and a full-blown residency at Las Vegas’ mind-melting Sphere. Both would be massive. Both are being seriously considered. And both, according to Lars Ulrich, are very much on the band’s radar.
Next year’s Super Bowl is landing right in their own backyard, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, just outside San Francisco. Speaking with Howard Stern on SiriusXM, Ulrich didn’t dance around the possibility. He actually tore straight into it with a full-throated “Fuck yeah, of course we would.” He went on to call it a dream scenario and the “right fit,” especially given the decades they’ve spent waving the San Francisco flag across the globe.
Whether they’ll actually get the gig is out of their hands, of course, but Lars made it clear that Metallica are more than ready if the call comes through.
Stern also pressed Ulrich on persistent rumours that the band are lining up a residency at the Las Vegas Sphere. While Lars played it cagey, there was no hiding his excitement. “I’m not going to deny it,” he said, adding that the whole crew from production to management has already scoped out the venue. While Ulrich’s words are by no means a confirmation of their playing, it’s clearly more than just idle chatter.
And honestly, the fit makes sense. The Sphere, with its mind-warping 360-degree visuals and quite literally absurd acoustics, has already hosted U2 and The Eagles, and Metallica seem like a natural next chapter. Kirk Hammett has already spoken publicly about the venue’s futuristic potential, calling it the perfect fusion of technology, AI and raw live energy.
With a 2026 stadium run already on the books across Europe and the UK, and recent appearances at both Black Sabbath’s farewell and Tomorrowland’s rebuilt main stage, Metallica are clearly not slowing down.
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