Days after Metallica launched a mysterious website accompanied by a clock counting down to Thursday afternoon, the metal legends have revealed the secret of “Metallica XX”: Two-night headlining slots at five music festivals in 2020.
At each of the five music festivals — Charlotte, North Carolina’s Epicenter, Daytona Beach, Florida’s Welcome to Rockville, Columbus, Ohio’s Sonic Temple, Louisville, Kentucky’s Louder Than Life and Sacramento, California’s Aftershock — Metallica will perform sets on both Friday night and Sunday night, with the band promising different sets on each night.
“And on Saturday, each member of Metallica will do a stand-up set at the comedy tent,” Lars Ulrich joked during a live-stream announcing the Metallica’s five headlining gigs. “As we like to hear ourselves say in Metallica, all our best years are still ahead of us. We’re just getting started.”
Producer Danny Wimmer Presents runs all five festivals. “Metallica isn’t just another headliner. When Metallica takes the stage, it’s an event. It’s an experience. That’s the same standard we’ve set for every DWP festival — from the first band to the last band, and everything that happens in between. I can’t wait to bring the biggest band in the world to the biggest rock festivals in America” Wimmer said in a statement. “Metallica paved this road that we travel. How many artists on the bill at these five festivals first picked up an instrument, or first started a band, because of Metallica?”
Tickets for all five festivals will go on sale October 14th. Each festival’s lineups will be announced on a future date.
The festival announcement comes just weeks after Metallica canceled an upcoming tour of Australia and New Zealand after James Hetfield returned to an addiction treatment center.
“As most of you probably know, our brother James has been struggling with addiction on and off for many years. He has now, unfortunately, had to re-enter a treatment program to work on his recovery again,” Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and Robert Trujillo said in a statement on the Metallica site.
“We fully intend to make our way to your part of the world as soon as health and schedule permit. We’ll let you know as soon as we can.”
Metallica 2020 Festival Dates
Epicenter, May 1 & 3 – Charlotte, NC @ Charlotte Motor Speedway
Welcome To Rockville, May 8 & 10 – Daytona Beach, FL @ Daytona International Speedway
Sonic Temple, May 15 & 17 – Columbus, OH @ MAPFRE Stadium
Louder Than Life, September 18 & 20 – Louisville, KY @ Highland Festival Grounds
Aftershock, October 9 & 11 – Sacramento, CA @ Discovery Park