Who will perform at the Super Bowl halftime show in 2026?
Metallica wants to take the NFL championship stage, drummer Lars Ulrich says in a new interview with Howard Stern. It would be the first time a metal band plays the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl LX is scheduled to take place February 8, 2026, at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. That's the home of the San Francisco 49ers and, more significantly to rock fans, Metallica's hometown.
As a result, it's sparked rumors more than 100 million people could hear "Enter Sandman" live at the year's biggest TV event.
"F--- yeah, of course we would (want to play the Super Bowl)," Ulrich told Stern on Sirius XM. "First of all we would do it. 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. Ultimately it's not our decision."
If it happens, Metallica would be the first rock band to headline the Super Bowl halftime show since The Who in 2010 (unless you count Coldplay in 2016). Past Super Bowl performers have been largely pop/hip-hop acts, including recent headliners Kendrick Lamar, Usher, Rihanna, Dr. Dre/Snoop Dogg, The Weeknd and Shakira/Jennifer Lopez.
According to Ultimate Classic Rock, oddsmakers at Kalshi say Metallica has a 13% chance of playing the Super Bowl. Only four other artists have greater odds: Bad Bunny (14%), Miley Cyrus (23%), Syracuse native Post Malone (25%) and Jay-Z (28%). Posty previously sang "America the Beautiful" at the 2024 Super Bowl and Jay-Z's Roc Nation has produced the halftime show since 2019.
Ulrich also addressed rumors that Metallica may do a residency at the Las Vegas Sphere next year, telling Stern he couldn't confirm anything but "I would f---ing love to do it."
Metallica, who drew a record 47,500 fans to Syracuse's JMA Wireless Dome in April, is a thrash metal band known for hits like "Nothing Else Matters," "For Whom the Bell Tolls," and "Master of Puppets." The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band, featuring Ulrich, singer James Hetfield, bassist Robert Trujillo and guitarist Kirk Hammett, is one of the best-selling music acts of all time with more than 125 million records sold.