Metallica have officially arrived in Las Vegas, kicking off their Life Burns Faster residency Thursday (Oct. 1) at the Sphere.
When the hard rock legends announced they were playing the state-of-the-art venue earlier this year, Lars Ulrich — the band’s co-founder and drummer — said it was seeing U2 open the Sphere in September 2023 that convinced them they needed to hit that stage too.
“About 12 seconds into the opening night of Sphere with U2 back in ‘23, I thought ‘We have to do this, it’s completely uncharted territory!’” Ulrich said. “This residency gives us another chance to reinvent how we interact with our fans in a live setting. We are beyond excited to share this with the world … and way f—in’ psyched to go next level!”
And now the next level is here.
While Billboard has the full night 1 setlist below, the band is planning to shake things up throughout the residency in keeping with their No Repeat Weekend tradition that started with the M72 World Tour in 2023. Fans wanting to check out more than one show could buy two-night No Repeat Weekend tickets that guarantee them two completely unique shows. So stay tuned to Billboard to see what the band has in store for night 2 on Saturday as well.
In addition to dates this month and next, Metallica also has 2027 dates set for the first three months of next year, wrapping March 13. (Find the full dates here.) They also announced last month that they’re adding 12 new dates to their M72 World Tour, starting May 8 in Vancouver through June 19 in Salt Lake City.
Metallica are following in the footsteps of other Sphere headliners including Eagles, Backstreet Boys, No Doubt, Kenny Chesney and the just-announced John Mayer, who will return for a solo residency in April after playing the venue in 2024 and 2025 as part of Dead & Company.
Find the full Metallica night 1 setlist below:
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“Battery”
Album: Master of Puppets (1986)
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“Creeping Death”
Album: Ride the Lightning (1984)
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“Now That We’re Dead”
Album: Hardwired… to Self-Destruct (2017)
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“Sad But True”
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“The Shortest Straw”
Album: …And Justice for All (1988)
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“Wherever I May Roam”
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“The Day That Never Comes”
Album: Death Magnetic (2008)
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“…And Justice for All”
Album: …And Justice for All (1998)
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“Sleepwalk My Life Away” (Kirk and Rob doodle)
Album: 72 Seasons (2023)
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“Nothing Else Matters”
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“The Call of Ktulu”
Album: Ride the Lightning (1984)
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“Lux Æterna”
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“Ride the Lightning”
Album: Ride the Lightning (1984)
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“The Memory Remains”
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“Seek & Destroy”
Album: Kill ‘Em All (1983)
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“Master of Puppets”
Album: Master of Puppets (1986)
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