Metallica appear to be on the verge of FINALLY announcing a return to Australia, promising fans they will be playing shows here in 2025.

The band announced a new leg of their ‘M72’ tour into next year on their official website last night, with a string of dates across the US from April-June next year.

But in the news many local fans have been dying to hear, they added they will also be visiting Australia and New Zealand in 2025.

“Finally, North America is not our only stop in 2025, as this year, we will return to Australia and New Zealand after far too long away!!! Stay tuned for the full announcement coming VERY soon,” the statement read.

Live Nation Australia followed up with a post on its Facebook page on Thursday night, simply teasing: “Sign up to be the first to know with a link to a mailing list.

The waitlist was also promoted in a Live Nation Australia eNewsletter sent to subscribers on Friday afternoon.

A local tour would mark Metallica’s first visit to Australia in over a decade – they last played here as headliners of the former Soundwave Festival in 2013.

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They were set to play stadiums across the country in 2019 but cancelled their tour less than a month out after frontman James Hetfield checked into rehab.

Live Nation was also presenting that 2019 tour with Slipknot as support act. We can expect different support acts if Metallica’s new tour eventuates, with Slipknot already confirmed to headline the Australian leg of Knotfest, tipped for March 2025.

The ‘M72’ tour has had a mix of ‘no repeat weekends’ and ‘one night only’ shows in each city. The ‘no repeat weekends’ consist of two entirely different shows and opening acts.

Support acts for Metallica’s newly announced dates across America include Pantera, Limp Bizkit, Ice Nine Kills, and Suicidal Tendancies.

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