Ever since Sphere opened in Las Vegas in the fall of 2023, music fans have been speculating/debating on what artists would be a good fit for such a marvel of a venue. U2 set the bar high with 40 shows between that September and the following March as the inaugural act to play there, and now Metallica is rumored to be following suit.
Due to the nature of the facilities, it’s not exactly a place where an artist can simply add it as a tour stop for a night or two; so much planning has to be done that it wouldn’t be cost-effective – or short of disappointing – were it anything less than a residency. It truly must be an immersive experience or run the risk of falling flat.
Following U2’s stay at Sphere, one where they celebrated their landmark LP Achtung Baby by playing it in full, along with other hits from their catalog, other artists have stepped into the arena to try and capture the same magic.
Phish were the first, but came up short – and not for the reasons one might think. They only did four shows in the space, which sold out immediately. The problem was that, due to the nature of the group, they were severely restricted and couldn’t embark on the improvisation and setlist variations fans have come to expect at their concerts.
U2, for instance, veered just enough from their set to make it interesting each night, but you still knew what you were going to get. Achtung Baby would be split into two parts with a turntable segment in the middle and an encore of mainly hits. The visuals could be tweaked prior to each show, but it’s not like an entire overhaul had to be done. For Phish to continue, that’s what it would’ve taken, and it was technologically impossible.
Dead & Company and the Eagles were next up, with mixed results. Neither were a band known for their live visuals, so the game had to be stepped up. Thankfully for the former, there was the artistry and psychedelic imagery from the ‘60s and all of their fanciful album covers, as those of the Grateful Dead, to use as inspiration. And while the Eagles didn’t have that, they did have the songs, which made up for when the visuals lacked.
Both were wildly successful, with Dead & Co. topping out at 48 shows across a year and the Eagles expected to end with 40 when their 14-month residency comes to a close this November.
Everyone else who played there – or is slated to – is just enough of a draw for curiosity’s sake and guaranteed to draw. Whether it was the dozen shows by EDM DJ Anyma, the 15 gigs by country star Kenny Chesney, or the 21 put on by Backstreet Boys. That’s not to say their shows haven’t been engaging. And some fans would qualify their experiences as the “most amazing,” “best ever,” and a whole host of additional superlatives. But were they really? Was it an immersive experience? Could it have been better planned out?
Enter Metallica.
When the metal titans were first rumored to be eyeing Sphere, it seemed like a no-brainer. They are, without question, the top band in their genre, even transcending it to break into the mainstream more than a Slayer or Pantera ever could dream of doing. But while they’ve had some fantastic stage displays over the years, from the ‘Damaged Justice” run of the late ‘80s up to and including the innovative setup on their current tour, they’re not known for impactful visuals running on a screen throughout a show.
Much like Dead and Company, coincidentally also a Bay Area outfit, there’s more than enough iconography throughout their history to draw from. Whether it’s the tombstone crosses from Master of Puppets, the lightning from the titular Ride the Lightning album, as well as a long list of videos to pull from for additional imagery, there’s little doubt that, given enough time, they could devise something innovative and spectacular.
So, what are the chances of it happening?
“I’m not going to deny it, because we’re all such fans of this venue,” Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich told Howard Stern this week. “All of our managers and our production people have been there and looked at it. It’s something that we’re considering, [but] nothing is etched in stone or green-lit. It’s something that we’re looking at at some point when the 2026 tour is done.”
The current Metallica tour, supporting their latest album, 72 Seasons, has been structured primarily as two shows in a single city, with setlists that don’t repeat. It’s scheduled to come to a close over the Fourth of July next year in England. At some point before that, it’s safe to assume an announcement will be made for at least the first wave of Metallica at Sphere dates.
“It’s not signed, sealed, and delivered, but speaking to me and asking my opinion, I would [expletive] love to do it,” Ulrich added.
A version of this article appears in this week’s print and online editions of my syndicated Rock Music Menu column under the title “Metallica eyes Vegas’ Sphere for a residency later in 2026.“
The Chronicles of Michael Christopher 
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