Could the next Sphere residency or Super Bowl Halftime Show performer be Metallica?
Metallica’s drummer Lars Ulrich addressed circulating rumors of a Sphere residency during an interview with Howard Stern. He noted that “I’m not going to confirm anything, because there’s nothing to confirm,” yet at the same time, said “I’m not going to deny it, because we’re all such fans of this venue.”
“It’s something that we’re considering, [but] nothing is etched in stone or green-lit,” Ulrich said. “It’s something that we’re looking at [sic] some point when the 2026 tour is done.”
This isn’t the first time Metallica talked about the Sphere; guitarist Kirk Hammett was asked about a show at the venue earlier this year, to which he replied, “Heck yeah!”
“That’s a great example of how venues are changing,” Hammett said regarding the Sphere. “That’s using modern technology to the fullest, to really up the levels of production and entertainment, connected to A.I. and making it a crazy experience.”
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Another possible gig next year is the Super Bowl Halftime Show, which is set to take place in Metallica’s home town of San Francisco. Stern asked if Metallica would be interesting, and Ulrich enthusiastically said, “fuck yeah we would.”
“First of all we would do it,” Ulrich said. “Second of all to do it in San Francisco would be a dream come true and would be the right fit.”
He added that the band has “represented San Francisco all over the world and shouted for decades about San Francisco and our love for the Bay Area,” so “that part of it is the right fit,” however, at the end of the day, “it’s not our decision.”
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Metallica has been making moves in the industry this year; last week, the group revealed they will play an exclusive one-night-only show later this month the night before SiriusXM launches the new station “Maximum Metallica.” Ulrich said that the band will play an intimate show at The Stephen Talkhouse — a 250-capacity venue in Amagansett, New York — on August 28 in support of the new station, launching August 29.
The intimate gig follows news of Metallica’s first live shows of 2026. Earlier this year, the metal icons revealed they will play 16 shows across nine countries as a part of the M72 World Tour with four “no repeat” weekends. Gojira and Knocked Loose will provide support on one-night only days, while Pantera and Avatar will open the show during “no repeat” weekends.
