It’s looking likely that Metallica will play a residency at the Sphere sometime in 2027.
These rumours have been swirling around for a while. A succession of band members have intimated that they would be interested and last summer local news outlet Vital Vegas said they would ready to “ready to ink a deal” with the state-of-the-art venue.
Now the biggest indication yet comes via The Sun who say that the deal is almost done. “Metallica having a residency at the Sphere is all anyone is talking about on the Strip,” the newspaper’s source is quoted as saying. “They have been to see the bosses and met all the tech team to talk through and plan out a show in principle.”
“The contracts are still to be signed but we were told they are 90 per cent there. Metallica will bring a different feel to a show there and there is a lot of excitement from bosses at the Sphere about what this could look like.”
If it does happen, it’ll most likely be next year. This summer will see the band play a series of stadium shows across Europe, including two nights at the London Stadium in July.
Assuming the Sphere residency does happen, Metallica will be following in the footsteps of U2, Dead And Company, The Eagles and Phish. This year the venue is set to hold residencies by EDM DJ Illenium, Phish (again), No Doubt and Mexican singer songwriter Carin Leon.
Meanwhile Sphere Entertainment have announced that they are looking to build a second US-based Sphere in Washington DC.
It would feature the same cutting-edge technology, including an Exosphere made of LED panels, an immersive sound system, haptic seating, and 4D environmental effects. However, with 6,000 seats it would be significantly smaller than the Las Vegas venue, which has a 20,000 capacity.
The new Sphere would be situated at National Harbor, just outside the city and built using a combination of public and private funding, including approximately $200 million in state, local, and private incentives. However the plans will need to get the final approval of Prince George’s County and the State of Maryland before they get the green light.
If it happens, it will most likely be the third Sphere, after the Las Vegas venue and one in Abu Dhabi that is currently under construction.
