Metallica would love to be first band in space

Reaching for the stars: Metallica
Reaching for the stars: Metallica

Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich says they would love to be the first band to ever play in space.

In 2013, Metallica set a world record by playing all seven continents in a year – completing the feat by performing for a group of 120 scientists in a transparent dome at Carlini Station in Antarctica.

That led guitarist Kirk Hammett to report that he had always wanted to play “on the space shuttle, maybe the moon” as they were running out of places to play on Earth.

You may like

And when asked about the possibility of being the first band to play in space, Ulrich says they have “a few feelers out” to see if it could happen one day.

Speaking with Siriusxm after their Baltimore rehearsal set last night, Ulrich says: “Living in San Francisco which is the gateway to the future, obviously all those things are being planned around San Francisco to a degree so I feel that we are close to that as we can be.

“There’s a few feelers out to a few people – nothing worth giving away yet. The headline ‘Metallica promises to play in space’ can certainly be derived out of this wishy-washy answer!”

He adds: “I don’t really want to commit to anything other than to say that if there really is a possibility for this to happen, then we will happily be at the very front of that line.

“I think we’ve shown over the last few decades that that sense of spirit, that sense of adventure still burns in us and that we would love to, and would bend over backwards to, make anything out of the ordinary happen, so watch this space.”

Metallica will begin the North American leg of their WorldWired tour today (May 10) with a show at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium.

Find a full list of Metallica’s WorldWired tour dates below.

Metallica 2017⁄2018 WorldWired tour dates

2017

May 10: Baltimore M&T Bank Stadium, MD
May 12: Philadelphia Lincoln Financial Field, PA
May 14: East Rutherford MetLife Stadium, NY
May 17: Uniondale The New Coliseum, NY
May 19: Foxborough Gillette Stadium, MA
May 21: Columbus Rock On The Range, OH
Jun 04: St Louis Busch Stadium, MO
Jun 07: Denver Sports Authority Field at Mile High, CO
Jun 11: Houston NRG Stadium, TX
Jun 14: San Antonio Alamodome, TX
Jun 16: Dallas AT&T Stadium, TX
Jun 18: Chicago Soldier Field, IL
Jul 05: Orlando Camping World Stadium, FL
Jul 07: Miami Hard Rock Stadium, FL
Jul 09: Atlanta SunTrust park, GA
Jul 12: Detroit Comercia Park, MO
Jul 14: Quebec City Festival D’Ete de Quebec, QC
Jul 16: Toronto Rogers Centre, ON
Jul 19: Montreal Parc Jean-Drapeau, QC
Jul 29: Los Angeles Rose Bowl, CA
Aug 04: Phoenix University of Phoenix Stadium, AZ
Aug 06: San Diego Petco Park, CA
Aug 09: Seattle CenturyLink Field , WA
Aug 14: Vancouver BC Place, BC
Aug 16: Edmonton Commonwealth Stadium, AB
Sep 02: Copenhagen Royal Arena, Denmark
Sep 04: Amsterdam Ziggo Dome, Netherlands
Sep 06: Amsterdam Ziggo Dome, Netherlands
Sep 08: Paris AccorHotels Arena, France
Sep 10: Paris AccorHotels Arena, France
Sep 12: Lyon Halle Tony Garnier, France
Sep 14: Cologne Lanxess Arena, Germany
Sep 16: Cologne Lanxess Arena, Germany
Oct 22: London O2 Arena, UK
Oct 24: London O2 Arena, UK
Oct 26: Glasgow SSE Hydro, UK
Oct 28: Manchester Arena, UK
Oct 30: Birmingham Genting Arena, UK
Nov 01: Antwerp Sportpaleism Belgium
Nov 03: Antwerp Sportpaleism Belgium

2018

Feb 01: Lisbon MEO Arena, Portugal
Feb 03: Madrid Wizink Center, Spain
Feb 05: Madrid Wizink Center, Spain
Feb 07: Barcelona Palau Sant Jordi, Spain
Feb 10: Turin Pala Alpitour, Italy
Feb 12: Bologna Unipol Arena, Italy
Feb 14: Bologna Unipol Arena, Italy
Feb 16: Mannheim SAP Arena, Germany
Mar 27: Herning Jyske Bank Boxen, Denmark
Mar 29: Hamburg Barclaycard Arena, Germamny
Mar 31: Vienna Wiener Stadthalle, Austria
Apr 02: Prague O2 Arena, Czech Republic
Apr 05: Budapest Sports Arena, Hungary
Arp 07: Stuttgart Schleyerhalle, Germany
Arp 09: Stuttgart Schleyerhalle, Germany
Apr 11: Geneva Palexpo, Switzerland
Apr 26: Munich Olympiahalle, Germany
Apr 28: Krakow Tauron Arena, Poland
Apr 30: Leipzig Arena, Germany
May 02: Oslo Telenor Arena, Norway
May 05: Stockholm Ericsson Globe, Sweden
May 07: Stockholm Ericsson Globe, Sweden
May 09: Helsinki Hartwall Arena, Finland
May 11: Helsinki Hartwall Arena, Finland

Metallica on the moon? 8 festivals science will eventually make possible

Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent 35 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving into e-commerce in 2020. Scott keeps Louder’s buyer’s guides up to date, writes about the best deals for music fans, keeps on top of the latest tech releases and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more for Louder. Over the last 10 years, Scott has written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, The Tragically Hip, Marillion and Rush.

Read more
Iron Maiden performing onstage in 2008
“This is a band with no limits. If there’s a metal fan on the moon, we’ll be there”: How Iron Maiden’s epic Somewhere Back In Time tour took them where other metal bands dare not go
Metallica in 1996
Metallica’s Kirk Hammett is open to making another Load-style album: “We might just say, ‘OK, let’s go back to the ’90s again.’ It’s not a bad idea.”
James Hetfield of Metallica in 2023 and John Gallagher of Raven in 2024
“They were a gang!” The first band Metallica supported on tour didn’t think the thrashers had a chance in hell of making it big
James Hetfield onstage with Metallica in 2024
Metallica’s James Hetfield names who he deems the “master craftsman at lyrics” – and it’s not a metal musician
James Hetfield of Metallica performing live in 2008
“You couldn’t put a bigger band in a smaller room”: The story of the greatest Metallica live album you’ve (probably) never listened to
Download poster plus pictures of Led Zeppelin, Steven Wilson, Guns N' Roses and Larkin Poe
25 things we’re looking forward to in 2025
Latest in
A close-up shot of the Marshall Major IV on-ear headphones on a turquoise, blue and black background.
I’ve never seen the Marshall Major IV headphones this cheap before - get them for half price in Amazon’s big spring sale
Evanescence in 2025
Evanescence release new song Afterlife from Devil May Cry TV series soundtrack, have their next album in the works
Tony Banks
“You only have to hear the opening sweep to reach for your lighter and wave it in the air”: Tony Banks' greatest Genesis moments
The Horrors
Ghouls Aloud: The Horrors come back from the dead with "a dazzling nocturnal spectacle of sombre reflections and oozing catharsis"
Bruce Dickinson in 2024 and a painting of William Blake in 1759
“This deluxe edition contains actual soil from the grave of William Blake”: Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson is releasing a comic book compilation with dirt from the resting place of one of England’s most famous poets
Steven Wilson in 2015 and Playboi Carti in 2025
“I’ve been touring around indie record stores, and I’ve yet to meet anyone who’s even heard of Playboi Carti”: Steven Wilson comments on chart battle with superstar rapper
Latest in News
A close-up shot of the Marshall Major IV on-ear headphones on a turquoise, blue and black background.
I’ve never seen the Marshall Major IV headphones this cheap before - get them for half price in Amazon’s big spring sale
Evanescence in 2025
Evanescence release new song Afterlife from Devil May Cry TV series soundtrack, have their next album in the works
Bruce Dickinson in 2024 and a painting of William Blake in 1759
“This deluxe edition contains actual soil from the grave of William Blake”: Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson is releasing a comic book compilation with dirt from the resting place of one of England’s most famous poets
Steven Wilson in 2015 and Playboi Carti in 2025
“I’ve been touring around indie record stores, and I’ve yet to meet anyone who’s even heard of Playboi Carti”: Steven Wilson comments on chart battle with superstar rapper
Hayley Williams performing with Paramore in 2024 and Chino Moreno performing with Deftones in 2024
Watch Paramore’s Hayley Williams join Deftones to sing Minerva in Nashville
Gong
Daevid Allen's final album with Gong to be reissued