Metallica announce one of their most intimate shows ever, playing to just 250 people later this month – and you can win a ticket

(Image credit: Ross Halfin)

Metallica will play to just 250 people at an intimate New York club later this month.

The biggest band in heavy metal history will grace the Stephen Talkhouse in Long Island on August 28, performing to celebrate the launch of their new SiriusXM radio channel, Maximum Metallica.

Tickets to the hyper-exclusive show won’t be available to purchase, but members of Metallica’s Fifth Member fan club can enter a contest for the chance to win their way in. SiriusXM are hosting an additional sweepstake, offering both entrance to the gig and travel to New York, although entrants must be US citizens above the age of 21.

The Maximum Metallica channel will launch on SiriusXM’s channel 42, as well as the station’s app, at 12pm Eastern Time on August 29, the day after the concert.

A live recording of Metallica’s Stephen Talkhouse show will air on Maximum Metallica on September 1 at 12pm Eastern Time, before being re-broadcast throughout the following week. In addition, the concert will air on Howard Stern’s SiriusXM channel Howard 101 on September 5 at 7pm Eastern and Pacific Times.

SiriusXM says that Maximum Metallica will offer “the most Metallica anywhere”, broadcasting hits, deep cuts, live footage and behind-the-scenes recordings. The radio station has previously arranged gigs at Stephen Talkhouse that feature such popular artists as Brandi Carlile, Coldplay, Dave Matthews, Ed Sheeran, Jelly Roll, The Killers and Mumford & Sons.

The Stephen Talkhouse show is the only North American performance on Metallica’s slate right now. The band will play in Australia, New Zealand and Asia from November to December, and they’ll return to the road in May for a European tour.

Select dates on the European run will mark the return of Metallica’s ‘M72 Weekends’ format, where they play the same venue twice with different support acts and setlists. Pantera, Avatar, Gojira and Knocked Loose will open for them across the two-night stops. See details below.

Metallica 2026 European tour dates:

May 09: Athens Olympic Stadium, Greece*
May 13: Bucharest Arena Națională, Romania
May 19: Chorzów Stadion Śląski, Poland
May 22: Frankfurt Deutsche Bank Park, Germany*
May 24: Frankfurt Deutsche Bank Park, Germany+
May 27: Zurich Stadion Letzigrund, Switzerland*
May 30: Berlin Olympiastadion, Germany*
Jun 03: Bologna Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, Italy*
Jun 11: Budapest Puskas Arena, Hungary+
Jun 13: Budapest Puskas Arena, Hungary*
Jun 19: Dublin Aviva Stadium, Ireland+
Jun 21: Dublin Aviva Stadium, Ireland*
Jun 25: Glasgow Hampden Park, UK*
Jun 28: Cardiff Principality Stadium, UK*
Jul 03: London Stadium, UK*
Jul 05: London Stadium, UK+

* Gojira and Knocked Loose support
+ Pantera and Avatar support

Louder’s resident Gojira obsessive was still at uni when he joined the team in 2017. Since then, Matt’s become a regular in Metal Hammer and Prog, at his happiest when interviewing the most forward-thinking artists heavy music can muster. He’s got bylines in The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, NME and many others, too. When he’s not writing, you’ll probably find him skydiving, scuba diving or coasteering.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.