Metallica set a new attendance record at Athens’ Olympic Stadium with over 90,000 fans at their first show of 2026.
James Hetfield expressed gratitude to the crowd, stating, “We are grateful to be back in Athens.”
Kirk Hammett mentioned the significance of Athens in music theory, saying, “Music theory was created here in Athens by Pythagoras.”
The band surprised the audience by playing the “Zorba” theme and a song by Greek rock band Trypes, which energized the crowd.
The concert featured opening acts by Knocked Loose and Gojira, with the latter gaining international attention after their performance at the Paris Olympic Games opening ceremony.
Meanwhile, Greece’s Geodynamic Institute monitored the concert using seismographs to examine whether the synchronized movement of tens of thousands of spectators generated measurable ground vibrations, a phenomenon internationally known as “concert quakes.”
