Metallica opens its Sphere residency on October 1 with 24 shows through March

Metallica plays the first of 24 Sphere shows on Thursday, October 1, 2026. The residency, called Life Burns Faster, was announced in February as an eight-night October run and grew to 24 dates on demand: October 1, 3, 8, 10, 15, 17, 22, 24, 29 and 31, November 5 and 7, then January 28 and 30, February 4, 6, 18, 20, 25 and 27, and March 4, 6, 11 and 13, 2027. Every show is a Thursday or a Saturday at 8:30 p.m.

The format is the band's No Repeat Weekend rule: the Thursday and Saturday setlists of any one weekend share no songs. That is why Ticketmaster sells a two-day ticket for each pair alongside single nights, and why fans who want the whole picture book both. Live Nation produces the run, the first heavy metal residency in the venue, and the show is built for the dome (the wraparound LED screen, Sphere's immersive audio and the haptic seats).

Practical points from Sphere's event page: doors open 90 minutes before showtime, there is no minimum age, and guests under 18 need a parent or guardian with them. Sphere sits at 255 Sands Avenue behind The Venetian, a 10 to 15 minute walk from the Strip, and entry lines on a sold-out night are long, so the 90 minutes are not a suggestion. Price is the catch. The residency has no cheap tier: when we last checked on September 5, opening night listed from $915 including fees and October 3 from $1,275. The current from-price for each date is on our Metallica at Sphere page, and the Sphere guide explains what each section actually sees.

Our take: Go for a weekend pair and sit in the central sections rather than the extreme sides, where the dome effect gives way to plain proximity. If the price makes you wince, skip October: the run has 24 nights, and later weekends are the ones to watch for released holds.