Metallica launch official pro-shot video of The Unforgiven from Saudi Arabian show

Metallica onstage in Riyadh
(Image credit: Blackened Recordings)

Metal giants Metallica have released official, pro-shot footage of The Unforgiven, filmed during their performance at the Soundstorm Festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, earlier this month. 

The show was Metallica's first live show in the Kingdom – where public entertainment events were banned until 2016 – although the band made their Middle Eastern debut as long ago as 2013, when the Vacation Tour dropped by the du Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

At the Soundstorm Festival – part of a series of state-sponsored events falling under the 'Riyadh Season' banner – Metallica were joined by a cast of international stars including Black Eyed Peas, Calvin Harris, David Guetta, Swedish House Mafia, Wiz Khalifa and 50 Cent. Metallica were originally earmarked to become the first Western metal act to perform in the country, but Canadian technical death metal band Cryptopsy got there first after playing a show at the Syrup Stage, Riyadh, on December 1. 

Metallica will return to the road in May, when they embark on the mainland European leg of their ongoing M72 tour. The tour sees the band play two shows at many of the cities they visit (with no songs repeated) alongside several one-off festival dates. Full schedule below.  

Metallica: M72 World Tour 2024

May 24: Munich Olympiastadion, Germany
May 26: Munich Olympiastadion, Germany
May 29: Milan I-Days Festival, Italy
Jun 01: Vienna Racino Rocks Festival, Austria
Jun 07: Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Finland
Jun 09: Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Finland
Jun 14: Copenhagen Parken Stadium, Denmark
Jun 16: Copenhagen Parken Stadium, Denmark
Jun 26: Oslo Tons Of Rock Festival, Norway
Jun 29: Clisson Hellfest, France
Jul 05: Warsaw PGE Narodowy, Poland
Jul 07: Warsaw PGE Narodowy, Poland
Jul 12: Madrid Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano, Spain
Jul 14: Madrid Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano, Spain
Aug 02: Foxborough Gillette Stadium, MA, USA
Aug 04: Foxborough Gillette Stadium, MA, USA
Aug 09: Chicago Soldier Field, IL, USA
Aug 11: Chicago Soldier Field, IL, USA
Aug 16: Minneapolis US Bank Stadium, MN, USA
Aug 18: Minneapolis US Bank Stadium, MN, USA
Aug 23: Edmonton Commonwealth Stadium, Canada
Aug 25: Edmonton Commonwealth Stadium, Canada
Aug 30: Seattle Lumen Field, WA, USA
Sep 01: Seattle Lumen Field, WA, USA
Sep 20: Mexico City Foro Sol, Mexico
Sep 22: Mexico City Foro Sol, Mexico
Sep 27: Mexico City Foro Sol, Mexico
Sep 29: Mexico City Foro Sol, Mexico

Tickets are on sale now.

Fraser Lewry
Online Editor, Classic Rock

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 38 years in music industry, online for 25. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.