The American thrash metal titans Metallica are set to become the first major metal act to perform a concert in Saudi Arabia.
The band have announced their final show of 2023, which will take place on the opening night of the three-day Soundstorm festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on December 14th.
The announcement was made via the band’s official Facebook page earlier this week. “We’re not done with 2023 just yet, as an amazing opportunity has just come our way to perform at a major festival that we have never played in a part of the world we rarely get to visit,” the band wrote.
“We’re excited to announce that on Thursday, December 14 we’ll be the first hard rock band to ever play at MDLBeast’s Soundstorm Festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.”
Metallica has joined the festival bill alongside familiar names such as Pharrell Williams, Chris Brown, H.E.R., and Black Eyed Peas.
In the past, Saudi Arabia has been particularly selective on the musical acts they welcome to their venues and festivals. As Metallica touch down in Riyadh, they will become the first metal band to perform at a public event in the nation’s history. Metallica first visited the Middle East in 2011, with an emphatic show at Etihad Park in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
In 2024, Metallica will resume their ‘M72’ world tour in Europe, with dates beginning in May. Later in the year, they will return to the US for a run of dates to close out the tour.
In a two-star review of Metallica’s latest album, Far Out wrote: “72 Seasons isn’t a concept album, which is good, because its central themes only barely seem to hold together. Sometimes Hetfield is talking about witches, sometimes he’s interrogating himself, and sometimes it’s completely unclear what he’s on about.”
We’re bringing hard rock to @MDLBeast's Soundstorm Festival for the first time in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on December 14, 2023! Festival and single-day tickets are available now at https://t.co/eOt8w7j4Pz. pic.twitter.com/Uu051bGHxu
— Metallica (@Metallica) November 27, 2023
