Metallica Takes Up Residency at the Las Vegas Sphere

On October 1, legendary band Metallica took up residency in the Sphere in Las Vegas, bringing four decades of experience and cult-classic songs such as Nothing Else Matters, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Fade to Black, and many more with the venue’s wraparound LED display, immersive audio, and 4D effects. Metallica Enters the Las Vegas Sphere Metallica has performed worldwide, most recently on its globe-spanning M72 World Tour, but the Sphere residency marks the band’s first extended run at the venue. The band announced its Sphere residency earlier this year, and to celebrate the occasion, it will conduct shows throughout October. It should also be noted that Metallica is the first heavy metal residency in Sphere’s history. However, setting up in the unique venue wasn’t easy. The band acknowledged that the intense process had been “frustrating and not always smooth.” Fans were given some consolation in September, when Metallica announced 12 additional tour dates for 2027 following its Las Vegas residency. It should also be noted that Metallica’s philanthropic efforts will make the trip to Nevada, continuing throughout the residency. In partnership with the American Red Cross, the band will host a pop-up blood drive at Fashion Show Las Vegas, featuring a replica of the band’s backstage lounge and giving donors a chance to win Lars Ulrich’s own drum kit. A Strange Decision to Take Up Residency In the Sphere? Metallica’s Sphere residency is almost paradoxically exclusive because of the venue’s small size. The band is popular for attracting tens of thousands of spectators to their concerts. In fact, Metallica played at one of the largest rock concerts ever in Moscow in 1991, where over 500,000 visitors flocked to Tushino Airfield to see the band. By some unofficial estimates, that number actually surpassed 1.5 million. Even years later during the M72 World Tour, the band routinely drew crowds of more than 60,000 to major US stadiums. Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Sphere can accommodate less than a third of that number. For many fans, the one-of-a-kind experience has also come with a sobering reality: tickets were either impossible to secure or simply out of reach financially. The first batch sold out within hours, leaving thousands more fans waiting in online queues for days for a chance to buy seats ranging from $700 to $6,000. Despite the oddities surrounding the band’s decision to take up residency in the Sphere, a rather small venue for their caliber, Metallica’s arrival still promises a lot. The band is popular not only for the songs themselves, but also for the shows they put on, featuring over-the-top lighting and effects. So in this sense, the Sphere is a great fit for Metallica. In other news about the Sphere, Oprah Winfrey will host AHA at the venue in April next year.