An Open Letter: The Time Has Come — Metallica and the Beatles Announce Epic Final Joint Tour
July 4, 2025
To Our Fans Around the World,
There are moments in music history when time folds in on itself — when the past meets the present, and something previously unimaginable becomes reality. Today, we are honored, humbled, and electrified to announce one such moment.
Metallica and The Beatles — two of the most iconic and influential bands in the history of music — are joining forces for a final, once-in-a-lifetime global tour. We call it:
“The Long and Heavy Road: The Final Tour”
Yes, this is real.
This is not a gimmick, not a tribute, and not a farewell from a single band — it is a celebration of six decades of musical rebellion, evolution, and revolution. A merging of thunder and melody, distortion and harmony, riffs and reverie.
This is the final tour we always hoped would be possible but never dared believe could be.
The Genesis of the Dream
The spark was lit backstage at Glastonbury 2024, where Metallica closed out Saturday night and Paul McCartney stunned the crowd with a surprise appearance on Sunday. Over late-night coffee, riffs were traded, memories shared, and questions posed: What if we did something crazy? What if we made the impossible happen?
Phone calls followed. Zoom sessions, studio jams. Ringo joined. Kirk and James dug through Beatles bootlegs. Lars tapped out grooves to “Come Together.” Rob played a haunting bassline to “Eleanor Rigby” that made Paul laugh out loud. It started as an experiment — and turned into something magical.
This is more than a tour. It’s a full-circle moment. Two worlds colliding with mutual respect. A bridge between Abbey Road and the Black Album. Sgt. Pepper meets Master of Puppets. And it works.
The Show
What can you expect?
Three hours of music. One stage. One band. One legendary experience.
The setlist will be a mosaic of Metallica classics, Beatles anthems, reimagined collaborations, and powerful duets. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” will bleed into “Fade to Black.” “Enter Sandman” will surge out of a psychedelic “I Am the Walrus.” Paul and James will trade vocals. Ringo and Lars will double up on drums. Expect surprises. Expect mashups. Expect the unexpected.
And yes — there will be brand-new music. Over the past six months, we co-wrote four original songs that fuse our sounds into something completely new. The lead single, “Across the Never,” drops July 15. (Trust us. You’re not ready.)
The Final Tour — Dates & Cities
This will be a 12-city world tour, starting in October 2025. We’re visiting cities that shaped us, supported us, and screamed with us.
Here’s where we’re headed:
- Liverpool, UK – Anfield Stadium – Oct 3
- San Francisco, CA – Oracle Park – Oct 10
- New York City, NY – Madison Square Garden – Oct 17
- Berlin, Germany – Olympiastadion – Oct 24
- Tokyo, Japan – Tokyo Dome – Nov 2
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Maracanã Stadium – Nov 9
- Melbourne, Australia – MCG – Nov 16
- Chicago, IL – Soldier Field – Nov 24
- Paris, France – Stade de France – Dec 1
- Toronto, Canada – Rogers Centre – Dec 8
- Los Angeles, CA – SoFi Stadium – Dec 15
- London, UK – Wembley Stadium – Dec 21
This will be the final live tour for both groups.
For Metallica, it marks the culmination of over 40 years of breaking barriers and blowing amps. For The Beatles — now represented by Paul and Ringo, with the musical presence of John and George integrated through never-before-heard recordings and groundbreaking holographic visuals — it is the farewell they never got to have.
Why Now?
Because the world is ready.
Because life is too short for regrets and what-ifs.
Because we owe it to ourselves — and to you — to make music history one last time, together.
There’s a generation that grew up with vinyls of Abbey Road and cassettes of Ride the Lightning. A generation that mosh-pitted to “Battery” and slow-danced to “Something.” This tour is for them. It’s for the fans who never got to see The Beatles live. It’s for the metalheads who never thought they’d find harmony in “Here Comes the Sun.” It’s for the dreamers, the rockers, the rebels, the believers.
Legacy and Beyond
This tour will be filmed for a feature-length concert documentary titled “The Long and Heavy Road,” directed by Peter Jackson, featuring behind-the-scenes moments, historical footage, and the stories that led to this unimaginable collaboration.
In addition, all net proceeds will go to music education charities worldwide, helping ensure the next Lennon, McCartney, Hetfield, or Ulrich gets a shot.
To Our Fans
You’ve carried us for decades. Through peaks and valleys, breakups and comebacks, sold-out arenas and solitary nights in the studio. We would be nothing without you. This tour is our love letter to you. A thunderous thank you. A final curtain that doesn’t just fall — it explodes.
So, whether you’re wearing a Sgt. Pepper jacket or a Metallica hoodie, we invite you to join us. Sing every word. Shout every riff. Cry, laugh, headbang, sway.
Let’s make history — one final time.
With deepest gratitude,
Paul McCartney
Ringo Starr
James Hetfield
Lars Ulrich
Kirk Hammett
Robert Trujillo
#TheLongAndHeavyRoad #BeatlesxMetallica #FinalTour2025
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