Metallica's electrifying performance at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA drew an astounding crowd of roughly 78,000 fans for each of their two weekend shows, setting a new attendance record at the venue. This accomplishment eclipsed the previous record held by pop sensation Taylor Swift, who had drawn approximately 70,000 fans to each of her six shows. In total, Metallica sold an impressive 156,000 tickets for these epic performances.
The SoFi Stadium, boasting a maximum capacity of 100,240 for major events, confirmed this remarkable achievement on their official Twitter account, applauding Metallica for their back-to-back sold-out nights. While the band itself hasn't formally commented on this milestone, it's safe to assume that drummer Lars Ulrich was left awestruck.
In a recent interview with Q104.3, Ulrich expressed his sheer astonishment at Metallica's enduring popularity. He shared, "It's pretty surreal. 42 years in, it's pretty crazy. I've said this a thousand times, but it still feels like we're just getting started and it still feels like we are just trying to figure it all out and we keep threatening, at least to people around us, that we may turn professional at some point soon."
Ulrich marveled at the unwavering dedication and support from fans throughout the years, acknowledging the evolving fanbase that spans generations. "And, obviously, it's not all the same fans. There's a whole revolving door, a whole new, young generation that is showing up at all the shows, and I'm getting recognized by 10-year-olds on the street, after the whole Stranger Things phenomena, you know."
He continued, reflecting on the band's journey, "For a lot of years, in our twenties and thirties, we were full of piss and vinegar, as they say, and probably never slowed down long enough to take any of it in, as one doesn't when one just keeps cruising at that speed, but now in our advanced ages here...it's amazing that there's still this love for heavy music and for what we do."
"42 years into this ride that is still happening and it's pretty wild the shows we have here this weekend at MetLife are the biggest shows we've ever played in the greater New York, Jersey, tri-state area. The difference now, compared to, say, 20, 30 years ago, is that we slowed down long enough to take it in, and appreciate the love, appreciate the generosity of the fans and the interaction, and how fortunate we all are to share music and to be able to still feel that we're out here.
