Metallica’s Lars Ulrich has never been one to shy away from saying exactly what he thinks, and in his recent chat with Howard Stern, the legendary drummer somehow managed to simultaneously shut down rumours while throwing rocket fuel on the fire.
Let’s start with the Sphere. The Las Vegas mega-venue, best described as a $1.8 billion sci-fi monument to the future of live performance, has become the most coveted stage in rock. Everyone from U2 to Phish has had their turn bathing in its LED-soaked glory. So is Metallica next?
Ulrich’s answer is a masterclass in teasing without confirming. “I’m not going to confirm anything, because there’s nothing to confirm,” he told Stern, and then, almost immediately, couldn’t resist. “But I’m not going to deny it, because we’re all such fans of this venue... It’s something we’re looking at at some point when the 2026 tour is done.”
That’s textbook Lars. Deny the confirmation, but make it clear as daylight that yes, if the stars align, and the mood is right, Metallica at the Sphere will happen. Just not yet.
And he’s not even trying to be coy about wanting it. “I’m not going to bullshit you, I would f***ing love to do it,” he added. That’s your headline right there. The band’s production team has scoped it out. He saw U2’s debut show with his own eyes and was “completely blown away.” It’s not a question of if anymore. It’s when.
But wait, there’s more.
When Stern floated the idea of Metallica playing the Super Bowl halftime show in their hometown of San Francisco? Ulrich didn’t miss a beat.
“F*** yeah of course we would,” he said. “To do it in San Francisco would be a dream come true and would be the right fit… We haven’t been approached… but that part of it is the right fit.”
It’s the most “we’re not doing it, but also get ready” moment of the year. Ulrich might not be confirming anything, but his excitement is impossible to contain. Between Sphere murmurs and Super Bowl manifestos, Metallica are already halfway through their next reinvention, and if either of these things becomes real, you’ll look back and realise Ulrich had been screaming it from the rooftops all along.
This isn’t silence. It’s thunder waiting to strike.
