At the moment, there’s no official announcement of a Metallica × Megadeth “Shock the World” joint tour for 2026 — at least not from the bands themselves or major music outlets. However, rumors and fan excitement have been running wild online after Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine publicly said he’d love to see a joint tour with Metallica as a way to mend old fences and celebrate thrash metal’s legacy — though this remains speculation and not a confirmed event.
Here’s what is confirmed for 2026, putting the idea of a collaborative trek into context:
Metallica’s 2026 Tour (Confirmed)
Metallica is continuing their M72 World Tour into 2026 with a massive European and UK stadium run. Highlights include dates in Athens, Bucharest, Chorzów, Frankfurt, Zurich, Berlin, Bologna, Budapest, Glasgow, Cardiff, and London between May and July 2026. These shows are stand-alone Metallica concerts supporting their album 72 Seasons, complete with giant arenas and rotating support acts like Gojira and Knocked Loose.
Megadeth’s 2026 Farewell Tour (Confirmed)
Meanwhile, Megadeth is embarking on its final world tour to coincide with the release of their self-titled 2026 album — their last as a band. They’re playing a mix of headlining dates, including stops across Canada, Latin America, Europe and Kazakhstan, and also joining Iron Maiden’s Run For Your Lives World Tour on selected North American stadium shows later in the year.
Why a Joint Tour Isn’t Official — Yet
Despite Mustaine’s comments that a tour with Metallica “needs to happen” and would “make everything right,” there has been no confirmation from either band’s official channels about a cross-band “Shock the World” stadium trek for 2026. Fans have shared their hopes heavily on social media, which has driven buzz — but as of now this remains fan-driven speculation rather than confirmed planning.
In short: while the idea of Metallica and Megadeth on the same global tour has electrified the metal community, what’s actually scheduled for 2026 are Metallica’s M72 World Tour dates and Megadeth’s farewell world tour — both massive in their own right, just not yet united under a single “Shock the World” banner.