Metallica Sets Athens Record with Over 90,000 Fans

Metallica launched the 2026 leg of their M72 World Tour on May 9 at Athens Olympic Stadium in Greece, drawing more than 90,000 fans and setting a new attendance record for the venue.

The sold-out concert marked the band's first performance of the year and their return to Greece since 2010. Unlike the tour's typical "No Repeat Weekend" format, which features two shows per city with non-overlapping setlists, Athens hosted a single date. This allowed Metallica to deliver a 16-song set packed with classics, including five tracks from their 1991 self-titled Black Album—"The Unforgiven," "Wherever I May Roam," "Nothing Else Matters," "Sad But True," and the encore-closing "Enter Sandman"—as well as three from 1984's Ride the Lightning: "Creeping Death," "For Whom the Bell Tolls," and "Fade to Black." Other highlights included "Master of Puppets," "One," "Seek & Destroy," "Fuel," "King Nothing," "Moth Into Flame," and "Lux Æterna" from their 2023 album 72 Seasons.

The stadium's usual capacity is 75,000, but Metallica's in-the-round stage setup freed up space typically occupied by a traditional rectangular platform, accommodating the record crowd. Gojira and Knocked Loose opened the...