Metallica has been touring since April 2023 with the iconic M72 World Tour two shows in the same city are ever the same.
The tour, which has been very successful abroad, has already passed through North America, Europe, and Oceania, but so far has not announced dates in South America. So, what are the chances of Metallica coming to Brazil with the M72 Tour ?
Dates confirmed so far
In 2025, the band announced a new European leg of the M72 World Tour for 2026. The dates begin in May, passing through cities in Eastern and Central Europe, and conclude in the United Kingdom with two nights at London Stadium on July 3rd and 5th.
To date, Metallica has not announced any new dates, but has also not confirmed that the announced dates are the last of the M72 World Tour . Recently, the British newspaper The Sun claimed that the band was negotiating a residency at The Sphere in Las Vegas for early 2027, which would leave at least six months free in the group's schedule.
What do the members say?
Despite having a long relationship with Brazilian fans, the members of Metallica did not mention South America in interviews about the M72 World Tour .
In an interview with Rolling Stone in March 2025 , Kirk Hammett commented that the band should focus on the next album only after finishing the tour, which at that point only had confirmed dates until November of that year.
“I don’t think we’ll start the next album for at least another year because we’re still finishing the [ 72 Seasons ] tour. When we’re done and we’ve already been to all the remote places like Asia, Australia and New Zealand, I think we’ll take a little break, not too long, and then we’ll get right back to it,” he said.
Will Metallica come to Rock In Rio 2026?
It is not possible to confirm or rule out the possibility of Metallica performing in Brazil or at Rock in Rio 2026. Although there is no sign of the band's activity regarding South America so far, their schedule remains free for the second half of 2026.
In an interview with Wikimetal in 2025 , Rock World vice president Roberta Medina cited Metallica as one of her favorite bands and explained the logistics behind bringing major rock and metal bands to festivals like Rock in Rio and The Town.
“It depends on the size of the festival, it depends on the size of the artist,” he argued. “We are huge fans of rock and metal, we love it. And, in fact, our criterion is what the public wants to see. Many times, you don't have an artist of the magnitude for an event for 100,000 people, which doesn't mean that there can't be festivals of other sizes that can accommodate other calibers of artists. It has much more to do with the profile of the festival and the capacity of the venue because this Brazil has something wonderful that everyone wants to perform here.”
In January of the same year, the creator of Rock in Rio, Roberto Medina , also cited Metallica as an example during an interview with G1 .
"Major metal and heavy rock bands, like Metallica, have very complex schedules. Whenever there's an opportunity, we'll bring these bands," he stated.
“Rock in Rio has the advantage of bringing together the largest audience in the world, but it’s also difficult to find bands that can meet that demand. At the top of the pyramid, there are few bands that can attract 100,000 people. There are at most 30 bands that can deliver a performance of this magnitude,” he concluded.
So far, only 3 headliners have been announced for Rock in Rio 2026, and no names have been revealed to headline Rock Day or Metal Day. Four more headliners remain to be announced.
Recently, columnist Ancelmo Gois , from O Globo , pointed to Pearl Jam as one of the possible attractions of the festival, but in other editions Rock in Rio has already dedicated two of its days to rock and metal acts.
Is Metallica coming to Brazil in 2026?
Despite Metallica's silence regarding the M72 World Tour's in Brazil, it's impossible to completely rule out the possibility of the band wanting to conclude the tour in South America, as other international artists have done in recent years.
To date, however, there are no strong rumors or indications of a band reunion in 2026, so the question remains open until more information is released. Keep an eye on Wikimetal to follow future developments.
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