How Metallica’s Lars Ulrich Was Inspired by U2’s Sphere Residency

Metallica‘s Lars Ulrich was there for U2’s historic opening night of the Sphere in Las Vegas — a moment that marked a stunning leap forward for the concert experience and rebooted the band after a long hiatus.

When speaking to U2 guitarist the Edge during his “Close To The Edge” show on SiriusXM, Ulrich shared how the experience reinvigorated his own sense of what was possible on stage. “I was there opening night and was so just fucking awestruck, inspired, energized — all of it,” said the drummer. “It was just, like, ‘Holy shit, this is somehow another frontier.’”

“Obviously, you guys were the first ones in and it was just so incredible to see that night,” Ulrich continued. “So, in that spirit, three years later, when we start here in a few months, we’re so excited and definitely have heard from a few folks about the filming and all of it.”

Metallica is set to unleash their own residency at the Sphere this fall. The band’s Life Burns Faster run (a lyric from “Master of Puppets”) initially began with eight scheduled dates. After overwhelming demand from fans, the residency soon expanded to an extensive 24 nights and will now run weekly in two-date increments from October 2026 through March 2027.

“It’s gonna be challenging. And obviously, like everybody else I’ve talked to about it, it’s overwhelming and fucking intimidating,” the musician acknowledged. “But hopefully when we step out on stage that first night, we’ll have it somewhat together. And as you know, that’s a place maybe we don’t end up in often enough, because we have a tendency to put ourselves in environments that we completely control and know. And so I think it’s really good to be able to throw yourself for a loop like that.”

Since U2 cracked open the Sphere, which features massive wraparound 16K screens and a cutting-edge sound system, it’s become a coveted destination for top bands. Currently, the Eagles have several dates scheduled at the venue. In the past, Phish, Dead & Company, No Doubt, Kenny Chesney, the Zac Brown Band, and the Backstreet Boys have all performed Sphere residencies.