Metallica Announces 2025 North American Tour Dates
· Ultimate Classic RockMetallica has announced a batch of 2025 North American tour dates, extending their M72 world tour. Pantera and Suicidal Tendencies will support at some stops, with Limp Bizkit and Ice Nine Kills tabbed for other dates.
The 2025 run will kick off on April 12 in Las Vegas and wrap up in Denver on June 29. While parts of the tour feature the two dates in the same city, as has been the tradition on the M72 tour, other stops (including festival appearances) will be just one show in the location.
Tickets are available on Sept. 27 and various presales will take place before the general on-sale date.
READ MORE: Metallica Albums Ranked
See the full itinerary further below and get more ticketing information at Metallica's website.
Metallica's Ticket Sales
In 2022, Pollstar shared a report of the artists that have sold the most concert tickets since 1981, and Metallica came in at No. 9 with over 19 million tickets sold. However, they were the No. 1 metal artist in terms of ticket sales, and it's unlikely that anything has changed since then.
According to Touring Data, the M72 tour sold over 1.1 million tickets in 2023 alone, for a reported revenue of over $125 million.
Metallica M72 2025 Tour
April 12 Las Vegas, NV Sick New World @ Las Vegas Festival Grounds
April 19 Syracuse, NY JMA Wireless Dome *
April 24 Toronto, ON Rogers Centre *
April 26 Toronto, ON Rogers Centre +
May 1 Nashville, TN Nissan Stadium *
May 3 Nashville, TN Nissan Stadium +
May 7 Blacksburg, VA Lane Stadium *
May 9 Columbus, OH Sonic Temple @ Historic Crew Stadium
May 11 Columbus, OH Sonic Temple @ Historic Crew Stadium
May 23 Philadelphia, PA Lincoln Financial Field +
May 25 Philadelphia, PA Lincoln Financial Field *
May 28 Landover, MD Northwest Stadium *
May 31 Charlotte, NC Bank of America Stadium *
June 3 Atlanta, GA Mercedes-Benz Stadium *
June 6 Tampa, FL Raymond James Stadium +
June 8 Tampa, FL Raymond James Stadium *
June 14 Houston, TX NRG Stadium *
June 20 Santa Clara, CA Levi's Stadium +
June 22 Santa Clara, CA Levi's Stadium *
June 27 Denver, CO Empower Field at Mile High +
June 29 Denver, CO Empower Field at Mile High *
* Pantera and Suicidal Tendencies support
+ Limp Bizkit and Ice Nine Kills support
1981: James Hetfield / Lars Ulrich / Lloyd Grant
Metallica’s origins can be traced to Los Angeles in 1981, when drummer Lars Ulrich placed a classified ad seeking like-minded musicians sharing his passion for New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands, and was answered by guitarist/singer James Hetfield. At the time, Hetfield and high school chums Ron McGovney (bass), Jim Mulligan (drums) and Troy James (briefly on guitar; preceded by Hugh Tanner) played in a garage band named Leather Charm. Still, he threw his lot in with Ulrich after the latter finagled a slot on his friend Brian Slagel’s 1981 compilation album, ‘Metal Massacre.’ Choosing the name Metallica, the pair reworked a Leather Charm original entitled "Hit the Lights" into rough demo form and recruited lead guitarist Lloyd Grant. Together, they completed the tune in the nick of time and, unknowingly, kicked off our Metallica Lineup Changes: A Complete Guide. This picture was taken when Grant re-joined the band for their 30th anniversary concerts in 2011.
March 14, 1982: James Hetfield (Vocals) / Lars Ulrich / Dave Mustaine / Ron McGovney
In need of every-day bandmates to help bring their music to the stage, Hetfield and Ulrich turned to a brash and talented young lead guitarist named Dave Mustaine, who immediately elevated the fledgling group’s musicianship. He also contributed several song ideas that would duly evolve into early Metallica favorites, like "The Four Horsemen" and "Phantom Lord.” The final piece of the band’s formative puzzle came by way of Hetfield’s old bass-playing pal Ron McGovney — though the quartet also tried working with singer Sammy Dijon for a few weeks, because Hetfield thought he might want to focus on rhythm guitar, before changing his mind again. So, after knocking a covers-filled repertoire into decent shape in rehearsal, Metallica finally started playing around the L.A. area in the summer of ’82.
April 23, 1982: James Hetfield (Vocals) / Lars Ulrich / Dave Mustaine / Ron McGovney / Brad Parker
With Hetfield still performing live only as a vocalist at this point, Brad Parker (also known as Damion C. Phillips) was brought in to serve as second guitarist alongside Mustaine. As Metallica's official site dryly notes, "His performance did not go over well," and this lineup lasted exactly one show.
May 25, 1982: James Hetfield (Vocals + Guitar) / Lars Ulrich / Dave Mustaine / Ron McGovney
During a performance at Lars' high school in Costa Mesa, California, James Hetfield took his rightful and permanent place on vocals and guitar for the first time.
March 5, 1983: James Hetfield / Lars Ulrich / Dave Mustaine / Cliff Burton
The next game-changing moment in our Metallica Lineup Changes: A Complete Guide came in the form of Cliff Burton. Mature beyond his years both musically and technically, Burton was performing with an undistinguished, rather theatrical Bay Area metal band named Trauma when members of Metallica first witnessed his groundbreaking bass playing. Burton demanded they move to San Francisco or no deal, so Hetfield, Ulrich and Mustaine dispensed with McGovney’s services and joined the emerging Bay Area thrash metal scene. Before long, Metallica’s ‘No Life ’til Leather’ demo was the buzz of the underground heavy metal tape-trading network. That led to a 1983 offer from New Jersey-based entrepreneurs Johnny and Marsha Zazula to finance and release a debut album. But first, there was another shift in our Metallica Lineup Changes: A Complete Guide.
April 1, 1983: James Hetfield / Lars Ulrich / Cliff Burton / Kirk Hammett
By expelling Mustaine (who was pitilessly bused back to California, where he founded Megadeth), Hetfield and Ulrich consolidated control over Metallica’s destiny. Yet both Cliff Burton and new member Kirk Hammett made crucial contributions: In Hammett’s case, by providing a calm, stabilizing presence to go with his amazing natural talent; and in Cliff’s, by helping to expand his bandmates’ musical horizons via his eclectic listening tastes. Metallica’s musical maturation quickly accelerated over the next three years, as they evolved beyond the frantic energy of 1983’s thrash watershed ‘Kill ‘Em All’ toward the groundbreaking songcraft of ‘Ride the Lightning.’ This period culminated in Metallica’s — and arguably all of thrash’s — definitive album, ‘Master of Puppets.’ Unfortunately, their dreams came crashing down on Sept. 27, 1986, when a tour bus accident took Burton’s life and cast everything in doubt.
July 27 - Sept. 25, 1986: James Hetfield (Vocals only) / Lars Ulrich / Cliff Burton / Kirk Hammett / John Marshall (Guitar)
When James Hetfield broke his wrist in a skateboarding accident - an activity he'd soon be contractually banned from - the band's guitar tech, Metal Church guitarist John Marshall, filled in for a couple of months on rhythm guitar while Hetfield handled vocals. It would not be the last time..
Nov. 1986-2001: James Hetfield / Lars Ulrich / Kirk Hammett / Jason Newsted
After taking a moment to grieve and consider their options following the tragic death of Burton, the remaining trio decided to carry on, adding Flotsam and Jetsam bassist Jason Newsted. To Newsted’s credit, he proved himself a capable team player as Metallica grew from strength to strength by way of 1988’s progressive thrash colossus, ‘… And Justice for All,’ and 1991’s ‘Black Album.’ Along the way, Metallica transformed into the world’s most successful metal band. There followed the daring but not always enthusiastically received experiments of 1996’s ‘Load’ and ’97’s ‘Reload.’ Tellingly, neither of the latter saw more than a couple of Newsted songwriting credits and, by 2001, he finally tired of playing fourth fiddle and tendered his resignation.
Aug. 25 - Oct. 6, 1992: James Hetfield (Vocals) / Lars Ulrich / Kirk Hammett / Jason Newsted / John Marshall (Guitar)
After Hetfield's hand was severely burned by on-stage pyrotechnics during the infamous "Montreal Riot" show of Metallica's co-headlining tour with Guns N' Roses, John Marshall was once again pressed into duty as rhythm guitarist while Hetfield humorously tried to figure out what to do with himself during the band's long instrumental segments. ‘What the hell am I going to do here?," he asked the Columbus Dispatch. "Head back stage, do some laundry?’ You can only be a cheerleader for so much, and it looks kind of silly.”
2002-03: James Hetfield / Lars Ulrich / Kirk Hammett / Bob Rock
Ironically, the biggest impact Jason Newsted had on Metallica may have been his departure, which seemed to shake the band’s confidence to the core. Their career descended into a period of uncertainty, during which Hetfield would be forced to confront his alcoholism. As their personal relationships frayed, the whole band wound up in therapy. Ultimately, longtime producer Bob Rock was asked to handle the bass-playing duties for 2003’s ‘St. Anger’ album, which had its tortured recording process chronicled in the documentary ‘Some Kind of Monster.’ The next evolution in our Metallica Lineup Changes: A Complete Guide was just around the corner.
2003-Present
In the aftermath of ‘St. Anger’ and ‘Some Kind of Monster,’ Metallica added former Suicidal Tendencies and Ozzy Osbourne bassist Robert Trujillo as Newsted’s replacement — then returned to the concert stage, where their power had never truly been questioned. They spent the next year on the road, with Trujillo quickly proving himself a major asset. Attempts at a new studio album, however, only proceeded in fits and starts between 2005-07. Metallica then hired producer and career reviver Rick Rubin. The resulting 2008 release ‘Death Magnetic’ witnessed a return to the band’s thrash metal roots, even as it retained a modern aesthetic.