Metal
Live review: Metallica roar back into Cardiff with a ferocious, stadium‑shaking set - 30 years after their last visit
Metallica delivered a thunderous return to Cardiff, marking three decades since their last show in the city with a high‑octane set, a banned‑song surprise and a crowd united across generations.
Stepping off the train at Cardiff Central into a sea of Metallica T‑shirts, there was no mistaking who owned the city last night (28.06.26).
A full 30 years since their last Welsh show, the heavy metal giants returned to the capital to find generations of fans waiting - teens in their first battle vests standing shoulder‑to‑shoulder with die‑hards in vintage tees who’ve been with them since Kill ’Em All.
Inside the Principality Stadium, anticipation crackled long before the house lights dropped. When they finally did, the place erupted. Metallica wasted no time saluting their hosts, unleashing a fiery Welsh dragon graphic across the screens - a simple gesture that sent the crowd wild.
The M72 World Tour’s rotating‑set format kept the night moving at full throttle, the band ripping through classics and deep cuts with the kind of precision only four decades of relentless touring can produce.
But the emotional centrepiece came with Nothing Else Matters. As James Hetfield eased into the opening notes, thousands of phone lights rose in unison, bathing the stadium in a shimmering glow. Hetfield later paused, visibly moved, telling fans he “has the best job in the world” - a rare moment of softness from a frontman forged in steel.
The big surprise of the night belonged to bassist Robert Trujillo, who stepped up for a cheeky curveball: a cover of Sir Tom Jones’ Delilah - the same song banned from choir performances at the stadium in 2023. The crowd’s reaction was instant and explosive, half disbelief, half pure delight.
The closing stretch hit like a freight train: One, Seek and Destroy, Master of Puppets, Enter Sandman - a run of songs that reminded Cardiff exactly why Metallica remain untouchable as a live band.
If there was one gripe, it’s that 16 songs flew by all too quickly. But with a strict 10pm curfew, it made sense.
Cardiff waited three decades for Metallica’s return - and the band made every second count. Here’s hoping they don’t leave it quite so long next time.
