Metallica made UK concert history this week by breaking the attendance record for shows at the O2 Arena in London.
According to IQ, a pair of Metallica dates at the venue – on October 22 and 24 – saw the group perform to a record-setting 22,211 people each night, beating the previous record of 21,000 set by Muse in 2016.
Metallica’s ‘in-the-round’ staging allowed for an extended seating capacity at the venue, and the band were honored with a specially-commissioned illustration by The O2’s Head Of Programming, Christian D’Acuna.
“It was an honour to host the heavy metal rock gods at the venue and they did not disappoint,” says D’Acuna. “Metallica smashed the highest attendance record during both of their shows at The O2. It was an honour to host the heavy metal rock gods at the venue and they did not disappoint, delivering an incredible show in the round, full of hits spanning their whole career.
“It’s been a great year for rock bands at The O2, with the likes of Green Day and Foo Fighters gracing our stage and Queens of the Stone Age and Deep Purple still to come. We hope the epic shows continue with our new 6k-capacity standing floor.”
The London appearances marked Metallica’s return to the road following a rare, month-long break from their WorldWired tour in support of “Hardwired…To Self-Destruct.”
The fall European leg will wrap up with two dates in Antwerp, Belgium in early November before resuming with a spring 2018 run that will open in Lisbon, Portugal on February 1.
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