42 years of love for Italy: Metallica in Bologna, the review

The spotlight had not yet been turned off on their concert at the Olympiastadion in Berlin – where the band played in front of over 94 thousand spectators, setting the new attendance record for the German stadium (held until then by U2’s performance dating back to 2009) – that the Metallica fans peacefully invaded Bologna, home to the only Italian concert scheduled for 2026. Their presence in the Bologna city was composed and orderly, where for a couple For days there has been a peaceful wave of black t-shirts with the group’s famous logo. A presence, that of ‘metal people‘, made evident by the many fans who walked the streets of the center holding the black envelope and the yellow Metallica logo, the result of purchases made in the band’s official pop-up store, set up inside the DumBO in Bologna. There were many foreign fans, with a melting pot of languages that peacefully invaded the streets of the city. The most ardent fans had already been camping in tents for a couple of days near the stadium. A discreet and mature presence, which the city and residents have shown they appreciate. Last night was the eighth show for the 2026 section of the M72 World Tour, which started in 2023, after concerts in Greece, Romania, Poland, Germany (three) and Switzerland. During 2026, Metallica will perform in various European cities, concluding in July with two nights in London, before returning – from October 1st – to the USA, with shows that will last until March 2027. Most of these will take place in the incredible setting of the Sphere in Las Vegas.

Metallica celebrates 42 years of love for Italy with this exclusive date in Bologna. Their first Italian concert in fact dates back to 1984 (in Milan) and, for lovers of statistics, there were a total of four performances by the band in Bologna, if you count the one in 2008 and the two evenings in 2018. Bologna responded with a lot of love by offering a pleasant evening from a climatic point of view, with the temperatures appropriately lowering, allowing those present not to suffer too much from the heat while staying inside the stadium.

An audience, that of Metallica, which responded with infinite warmth and participation to a sound and visual spectacle of unprecedented power. The sound of the Californian band surpassed – and there was no doubt – that of the support bands who warmed up the atmosphere. The stage, positioned in the center of the stadium, is made up of the circular structure ‘In-The-Round’: a difference in level which, with its thirty-six meters in diameter, redesigns the live shows in the stadiums, allowing all those present to enjoy the show from every angle. The stage, also called ‘donut’ as it offers a privileged position in the center for the thousand diehards of the ‘Snake Pit’, is surrounded by eight science fiction towers over thirty meters high. Each of them is equipped with four circular screens, interspersed with an impressive array of speakers that offers a total and enveloping ‘wall of sound’. The towers hostor various lights and effects, also hiding a surprise at the end.

The stage, left completely clear thanks to this scenic gimmick, is entirely exploited by the band who, during the show, moves continuously changing position and embracing not only visually their audience from all sides, while the yellow drum set was moved several times during the show.

The band’s entrance onto the stage is now a classic and takes place through a corridor created on the stadium lawn, amidst the cheers and warmth of the fans. The ritual involving the use of the song “had just taken placeIt’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll)” by AC/DC – who know a lot about memorable shows and sound power – that the wait took on feverish tones thanks to the other usual prologue: the scenes from the film “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” by Sergio Leone to the tune of “The Ecstasy of Gold” by Morricone, welcomed by the roar of the public who accompanied the theme by making the historic walls of the Dall’Ara vibrate.

The long-awaited Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo are finally on stage and have the face of those who have decided to offer an unforgettable show to their faithful.

We set off without sparing energy: the ride of “Creeping Death” (from “Ride the Lightning” in 1984) is the first shot straight to the coronaries of those present, followed by the portentous “For Whom the Bell Tolls“, again from the same album, which with its telluric pace overwhelms the audience, knocked out by such a start.

The macabre march of “Cyanide” (from 2008’s “Death Magnetic”) captivates those present with disturbing images of various characters lying in a coffin and awakening at the same time, writhing in the coffin as they realize where they are.

“King Nothing” (from 1996, from “Load”) offers Kirk the opportunity to show what his extraordinary guitar is made of.

Throughout the show, the musicians run tirelessly around the stage, changing guitar and bass with each song, so much so that at the end of the concert it is impossible to keep track of the instruments used. The sound expressed in “is overwhelming72 Seasons“, the only foray into their self-titled and final studio album of 2023, which demonstrates how charged the batteries of these tireless musicians are.

“the Unforgiven“, before the songs taken from the famous “Black Album” of 1991, offers an intimate and profound moment: the classic ballad that you expect from a band of this magnitude, which the audience feels particularly and experiences with intense participation. “Fuel” (from 1997’s “Reload”) is pure adrenaline, with fire exploding around the musicians and on the screens, warming not only ideally the front rows.

The tribute to Italy arrives in space “Rob and Kirk’s Doodle“, the moment in which Trujillo and Hammett remain alone on stage for their interlude of pure fooling around, surprisingly offering the famous theme song from the beloved 1980s anime “Ken the Warrior“, originally composed by the King’s Knights (for die-hard fans, the theme song had never been released at the time and was only released on vinyl in 2010). In all honesty and despite the effort, Rob’s Italian on the microphone was almost incomprehensible, and it took a moment before the audience realized what he was interpreting.”The Day That Never Comes” (from “Death Magnetic” in 2008), with a melody with dramatic and intense implications, anticipates the vibrant “Wherever I May Roam” (from the “Black Album”), with the audience vocally accompanying the powerful riff.

A long guitar prelude by Hammett anticipates the roar that welcomes “Nothing Else Matters” (“Black Album”), interpreted by everyone with a load of emotion and devotion; the stadium, immersed in darkness, transforms into a luminous carpet of thousands of smartphones to warm the hearts of those present.

“Sad but True” (“Black Album”) shows off all the heaviness of Metallica’s sound: a real steamroller in which Lars’ drums seem to have inexhaustible energy. The anthem against the war of the long and intense “One” (from “…And Justice for All” from 1988), with flames that set the stage on fire as if in a peaceful battlefield, shakes the consciences of those present also thanks to the beautiful images of the film that accompanies the performance. Guitars that mimic grapeshots and Ulrich’s drums that launch sound bombs throughout the stadium: a violence that fortunately is only musical and pure denunciation, in a period in which conflicts and devastation are sadly the order of the day. Metallica they strike the right chords, and we continue with James Hetfield asking the audience how many know their first album and how many own it. Once he is sure that those present are “up to the task” of the moment, he startsSeek & Destroy“, a return to the past taken from the debut album “Kill ‘Em All” from 1983. Surprisingly, from the top of the eight towers, dozens of large yellow and black inflatable balloons rain down on the audience, which begin to bounce in the parterre to the delight of all those present, who in the end decide to deflate them – not without difficulty – to take home a bulky souvenir of the concert. “Master of Puppets” (from the 1986 album of the same name) comes across as devastating and powerful as only a band like it can. If there was still anyone with a shred of energy to expend, they brought it out for the final song of this show: “Enter Sandman” (from the 1991 album of the same name), for which Metallica re-proposed the visuals linked to the famous official video of 1991, with the stands of the Dall’Ara remaining miraculously intact to the requests of those present to pay homage to their favorites.

At the moment of the final farewells, the city was paid homage by Metallica who projected some personalized graphics on the screens, with the four heroes greeting the public with an endless and generous throw of hundreds of plectrums. In the final moments of the greetings, a further tribute was paid to the Bolognese show with images of the city and the stages of setting up the stage inside the stadium.

You return home with ears that will ring for hours, but with the legacy of an energy that filled your heart and soul, and that will be truly difficult to forget

Setlist:

Creeping Death

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Cyanide

King Nothing

72 Seasons

the Unforgiven

Fuel

Kirk and Rob Doodle
(“Ken the Warrior” by Spectra)

The Day That Never Comes

Wherever I May Roam

Nothing Else Matters