Metallica return to Athens this weekend, here is everything you need to know about the setlist and set times.
Metallica are back in Europe for the 2026 leg of their M72 World Tour, with Athens this weekend marking one of the key early stops.
It’s their first time back in the city since 2010, so that show is already shaping up as a big one — but the broader European run follows a pretty consistent format.
This leg continues the band’s “No Repeat Weekend” concept across select cities, though plenty of dates — including Athens — are “One Night Only.” In those cases, expect a tighter, “best of” style set pulled from their rotating catalogue rather than the full two-night spread.
Metallica: M72 World Tour – Set Times (Typical Europe)
Gates Open: 5:00 PM
Support Act 1: 6:30 PM
Support Act 2: 7:30 PM
Metallica: 8:45 PM – 9:00 PM (approx start)
European stadium curfews are strict, so they tend to start on time and run a full two-hour-plus set without much delay.
Metallica: M72 World Tour – Setlist
The M72 run pulls heavily from 72 Seasons, mixed with the core catalogue. It’s not fixed, but most nights land somewhere around this balance:
Creeping Death
For Whom the Bell Tolls
72 Seasons
If Darkness Had a Son
Fade to Black
The Day That Never Comes
Shadows Follow
Orion (usually followed by a Kirk & Rob jam)
Nothing Else Matters
Sad But True
Fuel
Seek & Destroy
Master of Puppets
One
Enter Sandman
It’s a pretty direct mix — newer material alongside the big anchors.
The setup: in-the-round
The biggest shift on this tour is the stage. It’s a full circular “in-the-round” build in the middle of the stadium, with multiple drum kit positions and constant movement from the band.
If you’re in the Snake Pit, you’re literally inside the stage. If you’re general admission, there’s no real “front row” — it’s more about picking a good angle near one of the walkways where James Hetfield and co. spend time.
Final notes
Most European dates are selling fast (or already gone), and merch pop-ups tend to appear in city centres a day or two before each show if you want to avoid stadium lines.
If Athens is anything to go by, this leg is less about surprises and more about execution — big set, tight run, and all the moments you’d expect.
