Metallica Launches 2026 World Tour In Athens: Setlist & Videos

By Scott Bernstein May 12, 2026 • 10:55 am PDT

Metallica made history on Saturday night in Athens when they kicked off the 2026 leg of their M72 World Tour. The band performed in front of 90,000 fans, setting a new attendance record for Athens Olympic Stadium.

Unlike most other stops, the concert was the lone date in Athens in a break from their “No Repeat Weekend” format. As such, Metallica stuffed one classic song after another into the setlist. The band went heavy on tracks from their legendary self-titled (The Black Album) and Ride The Lightning albums.

1991’s Metallica was represented by “Nothing Else Matters,” “Sad But True,” “The Unforgiven,” “Wherever I May Roam” and the show-closing “Enter Sandman,” while the band turned to 1984’s Ride The Lightning for the opening sequence of “Creeping Death” and “For Whom The Bell Tolls” as well as “Fade To Black” later in the night.

Other oldies played in Athens included “One,” “Seek & Destroy,” “Master Of Puppets,” “King Nothing” and “Fuel.” Additionally, Metallica looked to their last two albums for “Lux Æterna” off 2023’s 72 Seasons and “Moth Into Flame” from 2016’s Hardwired… to Self-Destruct. Guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo devoted their “doodle” to the fitting selections of Zorba The Greek’s “Zorba’s Dance” and “Den Chroas Pouthena” by Greek rock band Trypes.

Metallica will bring their M72 World Tour across Europe through July. The metal titans then launch their highly anticipated Las Vegas Sphere residency on October 1. The only non-Sphere U.S. dates of 2026 are scheduled for November at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Watch fan-shot video of Metallica’s record-breaking first concert of 2026 below: