Metallica Confirms Sphere Residency, “Life Burns Faster”
At long last, Metallica has taken some time out of its busy schedule to confirm our scoop of July 2025: The band will debut its Life Burns Faster residency at Sphere in October 2026.
The scheduled shows at Sphere (we suspect there will be more if ticket sales are strong, which they will be) are: Oct. 1, 3, 15, 17, 22, 24, 29, 31, 2026.
That’s pretty much the whole story, but we never miss an opportunity to make things about us, so here we go.
If you are unfamiliar with Metallica, you are in good company. We aren’t a metal person, at all.
The only metal song worth enduring is “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC, and the only reason we know about that skull-rattler is because a cover performed by rednecks went viral a decade ago.
We first got wind of Metallica’s Sphere residency in mid-2025, when America needed a reason to live.
Metallica at Sphere in 2026, so there’s that.
— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) July 25, 2025
Heavy metal publications around the world reported our scoop, including crediting us. These were serious, respected news publications. The Las Vegas Review-Journal didn’t provide attribution when it finally covered the story in Jan. 2026. That’s because the Las Vegas Review-Journal isn’t serious or respected, in case that wasn’t clear.
Our story even mentioned Metallica would play the Sphere in the fall, which it will.
But enough about how we are a national treasure who must be protected at all costs, including the possible downloading of our consciousness into the cloud, ensuring our cognitive patterns are preserved for eternity.
Because we are not one to rest on our laurels, we took 30 seconds to have ChatGPT write a quick overview of Metallica and its contributions to music: “Metallica is one of the most influential heavy metal bands of all time, formed in 1981 and known for helping define the thrash metal genre. With blistering riffs, precision drumming and anthems that feel engineered to rattle stadium foundations, the band broke into the mainstream with albums like ‘Master of Puppets’ and 1991’s self-titled ‘Black Album,’ which featured hits such as ‘Enter Sandman.’ Fronted by James Hetfield alongside drummer Lars Ulrich, Metallica has sold more than 125 million records worldwide and remains a dominant live act decades into its career, balancing raw aggression with surprising musical range.”
ChatGPT referred to “Black Album” as “self-titled,” so we pushed back because that’s not what “self-titled” means. The album’s name was Metallica, but fans and the band called it “The Black Album” to distinguish it from their previous releases.
We correct ChatGPT all the time, which is one of the qualities of a national treasure, by the way. That and modesty.
Anyway, Metallica is a legendary band to many and Sphere is the perfect place to turn their musical legacy into a visual spectacle.
Here’s a sizzle reel or whatever the kids are calling them now.
See Metallica’s official announcement here. Sorry about the “world’s worst-kept secret” thing guys. We are incorrigible and prone to rabble-rousing.
Here’s more from the band (technically, their people) about Metallica’s Sphere residency: “Life Burns Faster set lists will span the entire catalog, enhanced by the venue’s immersive technologies that will allow you to experience the ‘Tallica sound in new experiential dimensions. Whether you’ve seen us from the upper reaches of a stadium or arena, at an intimate club or theater gig, or from the Snake Pit, Sphere’s technology will present an entirely new live experience for everyone in the house, including us! From the sights (the world’s highest-resolution LED display that wraps up, over and around the audience) to the sounds (immersive audio delivering unmatched clarity and precision to every guest) to the multi-sensory 4D technology, Sphere shows promise to deliver a totally unique experience each and every night.”
We’ll be curious to see how Sphere’s 4D technology is used during Metallica’s shows. Beyond the haptic seating (vibration technology), Sphere can also do wind, temperature shifts and scent delivery.
In the case of “scent delivery,” we remind the cooler heads at Sphere to consider: Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.
The band says, “As you’ve come to expect, each set of shows will be No Repeat Weekends, meaning if you attend both the Thursday and Saturday shows, you will not hear the same song twice.”
Ticket prices? Not sure, but they won’t be cheap. We’d guess they’ll start in the $300 range, but will be off-the-charts on reseller sites.
Ticketmaster’s standard Sphere warning applies: “This event may include immersive elements such as seat haptics, movement sensations, flashing lights, intense lighting, visual effects, loud noises and atmospheric simulations. Such elements may aggravate certain medical or physical conditions, and guests should take into consideration these elements, including if they have a history of discomfort or physical symptoms when experiencing them.”
We are so happy to have been a part of making the Metallica residency at Sphere a reality, and by that we mean sharing a rumor seven months ago despite the fact we would not know a Lars Ulrich if we tripped over one.
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