When Metallica frontman James Hetfield asks Cardiff’s Principality Stadium who among us is seeing the band for the first time, it was no surprise to see a lot of horn hand symbols raised. For the 45 years Metallica have been a band, they haven’t played in Wales for the last 30.
Drummer Lars Ulrich was in the audience here for opening night of Oasis’s 2025 tour – and thanks to their in-the-round staging, Metallica attracted an even bigger crowd than the Gallaghers did. The stadium claims the show has officially set a new record as the largest concert ever held in Wales, no small feat when the venue has also hosted Taylor Swift’s gargantuan Eras Tour and previous 2022 record-breaker Ed Sheeran.
On concert day (Sunday 28 June), it seemed like every other person in Cardiff was wearing a Metallica T-shirt, with the city’s rock bar Fuel – itself sharing a name with one of the band’s songs – clearly having a busy weekend. Since Metallica’s last Welsh visit (Cardiff International Arena in October 1996), the Californian band has played everywhere from Woodstock 1999 to a 2013 Antarctica concert.
James Hetfield declares his job the best in the world (Photo: Mike Lewis Photography/Redferns)
There were no hard feelings from the Welsh about the lengthy absence, though, fans in the middle of the ring-shaped stage clearly particularly enthusiastic. The band’s own enthusiasm led by example – Ulrich mouthed every word of the lyrics as he drummed and Hetfield declared that he has the best job in the world. The singalong to an informal rendition of “Delilah” from bassist Rob Trujillo and lead guitarist Kirk Hammett even showed that a lot of Welsh metal fans clearly have a soft spot for Tom Jones.
