{"id":4831,"date":"2026-05-10T10:10:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-10T07:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/?p=4831"},"modified":"2026-05-10T10:10:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T07:10:00","slug":"metallica-gathered-80-000-spectators-at-oaka-the-sliding-the-holes-and-the-highlight-of-the-night-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/?p=4831","title":{"rendered":"Metallica gathered 80.000 spectators at OAKA – The sliding, the “Holes” and the highlight of the night (video)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Athens moved to the rhythms of Metallica<\/strong> on Saturday night (9\/5), with OAKA filled to capacity with thousands of fans who have been waiting for 16 years<\/b> for the band’s return to Greece. <\/p>\n

The concert took place as part of the M72<\/strong> world tour, with more than 80.000 spectators<\/b>were at the Olympic Stadium<\/b> to watch the historic live performance. <\/p>\n

The night at OAKA was opened by Gojira<\/b> and Knocked Loose,<\/b> raising the intensity early on and preparing the crowd for Metallica’s performance. <\/p>\n

France’s Gojira,<\/b> one of the most important contemporary names on the global metal scene, impressed with their commanding sound and explosive stage presence. The band, which has gained a huge international following in recent years, performed tracks that got the audience going, combining heavy riffs with more atmospheric elements. Many spectators referred to it as one of the strongest opening acts they have ever seen in a concert in Greece. <\/p>\n

\"metallica-01.jpg\" <\/figure>\n

A little earlier, Americans Knocked Loose <\/b>brought their hardcore sound to OAKA, with intensity, dynamism and non-stop energy on stage. Although they move in more extreme musical paths, they managed to win a large part of the audience and create a strong atmosphere from the first minutes of the night. <\/p>\n

The presence of the two bands added even more weight to the concert, turning the night into a long-awaited metal event<\/b> of international standards for the Greek audience. <\/p>\n

The intensity and energy of the audience was so great that the Geodynamic Institute of the National Observatory of Athens<\/strong> monitored the concert with a seismograph, recording micro-vibrations<\/b> in the ground from the synchronized movement of the spectators. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n

From early afternoon, thousands of people began to gather at the OAKA, while increased security measures and special traffic regulations<\/b> were put in place to ensure the smooth running of the concert and the departure of the audience. <\/p>\n

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One of the standout moments was the customary “doodle”<\/b> of Robert Trujillo<\/strong> and Kirk Hammett<\/strong>. The two musicians honored Greece by playing the iconic “Zorba”<\/b> by Miki Theodorakis<\/strong>, with the audience erupting in applause and rhythmically following the melody. <\/p>\n

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Shortly afterwards, Metallica came up with yet another surprise for Greek fans, performing the song “You don’t fit anywhere”<\/b> from Tryps<\/strong> by Yannis Angelakas<\/strong>. OAKA sang the lyrics with them, in a rare moment of connection between the international metal scene and Greek rock culture. <\/p>\n

For the first time in Greece, the impressive in-the-round<\/strong> stage of the tour was presented, which was set up in the center of the stadium. The audience was literally surrounded by James Hetfield<\/strong>, Lars Ulrich<\/strong>, Kirk Hammett<\/strong> and Robert Trujillo<\/strong>, while the famous Snake Pit<\/strong> provided a unique experience for the band’s most ardent fans. <\/p>\n

\"metallica2.jpg\" <\/figure>\n

The setlist included some of Metallica’s best-known songs, such as “Enter Sandman”, “For Whom the Bell Tolls”<\/b> and “Master of Puppets”<\/b>, as well as songs from the new album “72 Seasons”. James Hetfield<\/strong> appeared particularly warm towards the audience and did not hide his excitement for the reception he received from the Greek fans. <\/p>\n

The concert was opened by Gojira<\/strong> and Knocked Loose<\/strong>, raising the tension in OAKA from early on and preparing the audience for Metallica’s big performance. <\/p>\n

A few hours before they took to the stage, Metallica had posted a message on their Instagram account saying: “Wake up, Athens. Today you will see Metallica.” <\/b> <\/p>\n

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A post shared by Metallica (@metallica) <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Metallica. Formed in 1981<\/b> in Los Angeles<\/b> by drummer Lars Ulrich<\/b> and vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield,<\/b> the band was later joined by guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo.<\/b> <\/p>\n

From their early years, they stood out for their hard sound and the “dark” themes of their songs, contributing significantly to the creation and spread of thrash metal. Their early albums, such as Kill ‘Em All, Ride the Lightning<\/b> and Master of Puppets,<\/b> are now considered classics and have influenced generations of musicians. <\/p>\n

The band enjoyed huge commercial success in the early 1990s with the legendary Metallica, also known as the “Black Album”.<\/b> The album featured tracks that became worldwide hits, including Enter Sandman, Nothing Else Matters and The Unforgiven,<\/b> bringing Metallica from the metal scene to the world’s biggest stages. <\/p>\n

Over the decades they released dozens of successful albums and songs, including One, Master of Puppets, Fade to Black<\/b> and For Whom the Bell Tolls<\/b>. Their concerts are known for their explosive energy and impressive sets, with the band consistently filling stadiums and arenas around the world. <\/p>\n

Metallica have sold more than 125 million records worldwide<\/b> and have won multiple Grammy Awards<\/b>. In 2009 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, confirming their place among the most iconic bands of all time. <\/p>\n

Metallica never remained a band that appealed only to hardcore metal music fans. Since the ’90s they managed to go to a completely different level, bringing their hard-hitting sound into the global mainstream without losing their character. The turning point was the famous Metallica album known as the “Black Album”, which paved the way for metal music to be heard on radios, TV networks and huge stadiums all over the world. Songs such as Enter Sandman and Nothing Else Matters went beyond the boundaries of the metal scene and became hits even with audiences who had no previous exposure to the genre. Metallica managed to combine intensity with more melodic elements,<\/b> creating a sound that reached millions of listeners worldwide. <\/p>\n

Over the decades, the band has associated its name with some of the most historic concerts in modern music. Among them stands out the legendary performance at Monsters of Rock 1991 Moscow<\/b>in front of hundreds of thousands of spectators, shortly before the breakup of the Soviet Union.<\/b> The joint tour with Guns N’ Roses<\/b>in the early ’90s is also considered historic, as is the impressive live show with the S&M symphony orchestra, which showed that metal can even be combined with classical music. Their gigs at huge festivals such as Glastonbury Festival, and their performance in Antarctica in 2013, confirmed their reputation as one of the most powerful live bands in the world. <\/p>\n

A central figure throughout this journey remains James Hetfield.<\/b> The Metallica frontman has built a special relationship with the audience, as at every show he seems direct, communicative and deeply connected with fans. He often speaks to the audience between songs, thanking the audience for their support and creating the feeling of a large group in the stadium. Fans often mention that, even at concerts of tens of thousands of people, Hetfield manages to make everyone feel part of the experience. This immediacy is one of the reasons Metallica has continued to maintain a fan base for more than four decades. <\/p>\n

To this day they remain one of the most influential names in rock and metal music,<\/b> continuing to tour and release new material, with their latest album 72 Seasons<\/b>.<\/b> <\/p>\n

\"metallica-synavlia-oaka-a-0jpg.webp\" <\/figure>\n

Security measures and traffic regulations <\/h3>\n

At the same time, the OAKA management had made special arrangements for the security and operation of the venue, calling on visitors to follow the instructions of the authorities and to avoid, where possible, the use of private vehicles. <\/p>\n

According to a statement by STA.SY.<\/strong>, there was an extension of traffic on Metro Line 1, while additional trains were added to the service to facilitate the departure of spectators after the concert. <\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\n Athens moved to the rhythms of Metallica on Saturday night (9\/5), with the OAKA being filled to the brim with thousands of fans who had been waiting for 16 years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4831","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-greece"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4831","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4831"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4831\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4831"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4831"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.tomanifesto.gr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4831"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}