Ulrich spoke with Howard Stern to launch Metallica’s new SiriusXM channel
Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich has confirmed the band is interested in playing the Sphere in Las Vegas. Ulrich shared the news when Howard Stern asked about the rumors for a fall 2026 run.
“I’m not going to confirm anything, because there’s nothing to confirm. But I’m not going to deny it, because we’re all such fans of this venue. All of our managers and our production people have been there and looked at it. It’s something that we’re considering, [but] nothing is etched in stone or green-lit. It’s something that we’re looking at at some point when the 2026 tour is done,” Ulrich says.
He continues, “I was there seeing U2 the first night, when they took that stage, I wanted to see it for myself before I saw it on YouTube or read about it. I was there, like everybody else that was there that night, I was completely blown away, and felt that was the beginning of another chapter in live performances. I’m not going to bullshit you, I would fucking love to do it, let there be no question about it. It’s not signed, sealed and delivered, but speaking to me and asking my opinion I would fucking love to do it.”
Ulrich was also asked about the band’s interest in playing the 2026 Super Bowl, which will take place in the band’s hometown of San Francisco.
“Fuck yeah — of course we would,” he says. “First of all, we would do it. Second of all, to do it in San Francisco would be a dream come true and would be the right fit. We haven’t been approached. … Certainly as somebody who’s represented San Francisco all over the world and shouted for decades about San Francisco and our love for the Bay Area, that part of it is the right fit. Ultimately it’s not our decision.”
Ulrich appeared on The Howard Stern Show to launch their new year-round SiriusXM station, Maximum Metallica, which launches on August 29th on Channel 42 and the SiriusXM app. To celebrate the new channel, SiriusXM will host a live performance by Metallica at Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett, NY, sponsored by Hertz, on Thursday, August 28th, which will air on September 1st at noon ET.
