Metallica Sets Attendance Record at Athens Olympic Stadium

ATHENS, Greece (AP) - Metallica set a new attendance record at Athens' Olympic Stadium during their first concert of 2026, drawing more than 90,000 fans, the band announced Monday.

The group performed at the stadium Saturday, May 9, as part of their M72 World Tour. In a social media post, Metallica thanked fans, writing, "Over 90,000 of you packed in and trust us... we could feel it! We couldn't think of a better way to kick off this leg of the M72 World Tour."

The band played 16 songs, opening with "Creeping Death" and closing with "Enter Sandman."

Athens' Olympic Stadium typically seats about 75,000, but Metallica used a circular, in-the-round stage that allowed for more attendees by removing stage restrictions.

Metallica's current tour has set attendance records at other venues. In August 2023, the band drew about 78,000 fans to each of two shows at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, surpassing Taylor Swift's attendance figures at that venue.

The European leg of the M72 World Tour continues Wednesday, May 13, in Bucharest, Romania. Metallica will also launch their first concert residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas later this year, with performances scheduled from October through March 2027.