Metal and Hard Rock ticket sales are exploding says Live Nation
Metal and Hard Rock ticket sales grew significantly over the last year, according to Live Nation. Hard rock concerts are up 15% in 2025.
Metal concerts now make-up 13% of all stadium shows across the U.S.
What bands and sub-genres are leading metal and hard rock ticket sales?
- Metalcore bands Bring Me The Horizon, Pierce The Veil, Falling in Reverse, and Sleep Token are “blowing up” in both streams and arena ticket sales
- Hardcore punks like Turnstile
- Goth rock’s Ghost
- Legends like Korn, Deftones, Evanescence, Limp Bizkit, Avenged Sevenfold, Linkin Park, and Iron Maiden are headlining festivals
- System of a Down added stadium shows to their tour after selling-out shows in Toronto, Chicago, and East Rutherford, NJ
- Metallica had nearly $180 million in ticket sales last year alone
- Hard rock festivals including Welcome To Rockville, Aftershok and Inkcarceration set attendance records this year
- 230,000 attended Welcome to Rockville this year
The concert giant also acknowledged Ozzy’s contribution: ”This genre wouldn’t exist without the legends,” Live Nation said. “Ozzy Osbourne — the Prince of Darkness — didn’t just front Black Sabbath, he changed music forever. His legacy will live on in every riff.”
Top 2025 Metal & Hard Rock Tours
Find more info on each artist and tour on Bandsintown.
Iron Maiden – Run For Your Lives World Tour
- Kicked off on May 27, 2025 in Budapest; continuing through 2026 across Europe, focusing on their first nine classic albums. Support includes Halestorm, The Raven Age, Avatar
Metallica – M72 World Tour
- Active throughout 2025 across North America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. Opening acts in the U.S. include Pantera, Suicidal Tendencies, Limp Bizkit, Ice Nine Kills; the November Oceania leg features Evanescence and Suicidal Tendencies Wikipedia.
Arch Enemy – Blood Dynasty Tour (North America)
- Ran April 14 – May 18, 2025, with support from Fit for an Autopsy, BAEST, and Thrown into Exile. The tour included stops in major U.S. and Canadian cities and sold‑out shows including Vancouver
Deafheaven – North American Tour
- Promoting Lonely People With Power, this leg ran mid‑April through May 2025 across U.S. and Canada with support from Gatecreeper and Trauma Ray. European festival dates in summer follow
Coming Later in 2025
Arch Enemy – European Blood Dynasty Tour
- Scheduled for October–November 2025, with support from Amorphis, Eluveitie, and Gatecreeper
Judas Priest – The Shield of Pain Tour
- Spain date confirmed: Bilbao Arena on June 23, 2025, celebrating 50 years of the band and 35 years of Painkiller. Tickets went on sale December 23, 2024
Metallica – M72 World Tour Oceania Leg
- November 2025 stadium shows across Australia and New Zealand, including Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on Nov 12, with Evanescence and Suicidal Tendencies supporting
Bruce Houghton is Founder & Editor of Hypebot, Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, a Berklee College Of Music professor and founder of Skyline Artists.
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