Metallica Sets Second Leg Of North America ‘Worldwired’ Tour

Xavier Torrent / Redferns / Getty Images – Metallica
Metallica is lost in the music during a show at Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona, Spain, Feb. 7.

Metallica will rumble across the continent beginning Sept. 2 in Madison, Wis.  This time out the band is eyeing some cities it hasn’t rocked in decades.  Tickets go on sale later this week.

Arenas will host the mighty Metallica as the band moves indoors for a road trip that will run from early September through late March 2019.  Last year’s adventure included headlining San Francisco’s Outside Lands Festival as well as Rock On The Range in Columbus, Ohio.  Shows reported to Pollstar tell a sold-out tale for 2017, showing the band moving more than 1.6 million tickets for a total year’s gross of more than $153 million, thanks in part to a number of stadium plays as well as jammed major arenas across the globe.

The North American leg is the latest in an outing that began in 2016 and landed James Hetfield, Lars Ullrich and the boys at No. 5 on Pollstar‘s Top Worldwide Tours chart for 2017. 

Metallica has been breaking attendance records all over Europe, where it continues performing through May 11.

Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany, welcomed 18,446 and 18,483 on Sept. 14 and 16, respectively. The arena’s official capacity is 18, 163 but the in-the-round configuration allows more space available than usual.

At the time, a venue rep told Pollstar: “You could already feel the audience’s anticipation on both days during admission. It developed into two magical metal nights none of the attendees will forget in a hurry. That it turned out to be Metallica, of all people, who now lead the list of records at Lanxess Arena, makes us very happy, of course. But we’re obviously hoping to break this attendance record again soon.”

In London, too, the band set a record on the first night, Oct. 22, and smashed their own record on Oct. 24, when 22,211 people came to see the rock icons at The O2. The arena had recently tweaked its seating configuration, including the addition of the new Amazon Lounges and The Deck. Coupled with the staging configuration and suites at full capacity, the number was reached. SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland, also marked a new high of 13,111 fans, despite its usual capacity of 12,748. 

Metallica drew a record 20,048 to Manchester Arena in the UK, following by 15,604 people at Birmingham’s Genting Arena – also a record. 

But back to the States. You know the fans in Grand Forks, N.D., are excited to welcome Metallica.  The last time the band played the city was 30 years ago.  Other cities lined up for long-delayed return visits from Metallica include Sioux Falls, S.D.; El Paso, Texas, and Birmingham, Ala., haven’t seen the band since the early ’90s.

Each show will include the DJ-fueled “Light It Up” preshow hosted by Jim Breuer.

But that’s not all. The WorldWire European tour has been especially notable for its dazzling production and use of technology, including a swarm of 120 autonomous, lighted drones that fly out of the stagehouse and create formations over the band’s heads on its in-the-round configuration. 

TAIT – Metallica
Bringing attendance records to an arena near you.

In another show stopper,  Metallica deploys 52 kinetic LED cubs that dislay dynamic video content and move individually, in time to the music, courts of winches and control software provided by Tait. 

Let’s talk tickets.  Presales for fan club members begin Feb. 27.  A presale for Citi members also tarts Feb. 27 at 11 a.m.  Spotify will run a presale beginning Feb. 28

Metallica is introducing a “Wherever I May Roam” ticket that gives fans floor access to any Metallica specific shows on the tour as long as they call in 48 hours before the gig.  A limited number of these tickets will be available.

But wait, there’s more!  Every ticket purchased comes with your choice of a standard CD copy or standard digital copy of Hardwired … To Self Desctruct.

General onsales launch March 2 at 10 a.m. All times local.  Visit Pollstar’s Metallica page for updates.