Could Metallica perform at the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show? In the words of Lars Ulrich, “F— yeah, of course we would.”
Ulrich appeared on Howard Stern’s SiriusXM show this past week, and the Metallica drummer and founding member discussed the possibility of hitting one of America’s largest stages next February.
While the gig would be unprecedented — no heavy metal band has previously performed at the Halftime Show — Metallica are a sensible contender for the role in 2026. In addition to their status as one of the most commercially successful bands of all time, the group is from San Francisco — the same region of next year’s Super Bowl, which is slated for February 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
“First of all we would do it,” Ulrich told Stern, per Consequence. “Second of all, to do it in San Francisco would be a dream come true and would be the right fit.”
“Certainly as somebody who’s represented San Francisco all over the world and shouted for decades about San Francisco and our love for the Bay Area, that part of it is the right fit,” he added, according to Consequence’s report. “Ultimately it’s not our decision.”
This past February, Kendrick Lamar led the Halftime Show festivities, netting 133.5 million viewers — the most of any halftime show, per Billboard.
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