Metallica Sphere Residency Revives Rare Songs in Las Vegas

Metallica has now played six shows of its Life Burns Faster residency at Sphere in Las Vegas. The 24-show run began October 1 and ends March 13, 2027.

Across its first three weekends, the band has revived songs it hadn’t played in years. It has also rotated different songs into its Thursday and Saturday sets. Official show notes on Metallica's website track each change.

The residency follows the band's No Repeat Weekend format. Under that format, Thursday and Saturday shows on the same weekend share no songs.

The next two shows take place October 22 and 24.

Opening Weekend Brings Back Songs Unplayed for Years

Opening night brought back "...And Justice for All" for the first time in more than 12 years. The band last played it August 9, 2014, in Montreal. "Now That We're Dead" returned the same night after more than five years away. Its previous performance was September 24, 2021, in Louisville, Kentucky.

The October 3 show reached deeper into the catalog. Metallica played "Devil's Dance" for the first time in more than 18 years. The song last appeared June 7, 2008, at Rock am Ring in Germany. "The Outlaw Torn" also returned after a little more than seven years away. The band had last played it September 8, 2019, at S&M2 in San Francisco. Both songs made their Las Vegas debuts that night.

How Metallica Rotates Songs Into Its Thursday and Saturday Sets

Most of each setlist has stayed the same from week to week. Two slots, however, have changed every weekend. The seventh song of the Thursday set has changed every week so far. "The Day That Never Comes" held the slot on opening night. "Fade to Black" took over on October 8. On October 15, "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" took the slot, having appeared only in Saturday sets until then.

The sixth slot on Saturdays has followed a similar pattern. "King Nothing" played there on October 3. "Until It Sleeps" replaced it on October 10. That marked the song's first Las Vegas performance in 28 years. "Harvester of Sorrow" followed on October 17.

Residency Expands to 24 Shows With Dates Through March 2027

Metallica first announced the residency in February as eight October shows. The band later expanded it to 24 shows, adding dates through March 2027. Four more shows remain this month, on October 22, 24, 29 and 31. The band then plays November 5 and 7 before a nearly 12-week break. Shows resume January 28 and run through March 13.

Drummer Lars Ulrich traced the residency back to U2's opening of Sphere in 2023. In a February statement, he said he knew Metallica had to play the venue about 12 seconds into that show, calling it "completely uncharted territory." He added, "This residency gives us another chance to reinvent how we interact with our fans in a live setting." Metallica is the first metal band to headline the venue.