Metallica Opens Its Sphere Residency With 'Battery' and Eight Nights of Heavy-Metal Scale

The October 1 opener made Metallica the first metal band to headline the Las Vegas venue, beginning an eight-show residency that runs through October 31.

Oct 3, 2026

Metallica performing on the opening night of its Las Vegas Sphere residency

Credit: Guitar World / Future (via source)

Metallica opened its Las Vegas Sphere residency on October 1, becoming the first metal band to headline the venue. The band began the night with “Battery” and launched an eight-show run that continues through October 31, using the room's wraparound screen and concert-scale production for a set drawn across its catalog.

The opening-night footage also puts the band's stage tools in clear view. James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett used familiar performance instruments including ESP Snakebyte and Mummy models, alongside Flying V-style guitars. The residency format gives Metallica room to reshape both setlists and visuals across the month rather than treat the Sphere as a one-off stop.

Credit: Clark Roether

Why it matters

A Metallica residency is a high-profile test of how a guitar-heavy live show translates to the Sphere, and the opening night provides the first concrete look at that production.

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