Is It Better to See Metallica at a Festival or a Headlining Show?

We're smack dab in the middle of Maytallica and we want to know- is it better to see Metallica at a festival concert or a headlining show?

We all know Metallica is a great concert- there's no argument about that. Between the pyrotechnics, the songs, the crowd, and the live sound quality, Metallica is one of those bands that consistently brings it in-person. But there are plenty of different ways to see the band- a livestream, at a festival, award show, or a headlining concert which makes us wonder what's the best way to see Metallica?

When attending a festival, you're usually shelling out $100-$300 for a general admission ticket, way higher if you want the good life like a V.I.P. ticket, you could easily be shelling out upwards of a thousand dollars. Festival concerts have lots of different perks, including a variety of performers, activities, and food options to enjoy. While all of these perks are enticing, there are plenty of reasons a solo, headlining concert is the better option for you.

Tickets for a headlining concert are usually significantly cheaper. Decent seats will run you about half the cost of a festival ticket, and you have a guaranteed seat for this show. At a festival, you'll be fighting your way to catch a glimpse of the band. The real benefit of a normal show is the length of the performance.

At a festival, bands are limited to only 45 minutes to an hour to perform. If other artists are running behind, it can eat into the headliner's performance time. At a headlining concert, the performers are free to start when they want and perform as long as they want.

The two times I've seen Metallica perform as a headliner, the band performed over two hours. At a festival I saw them Metallica headline, the band was only able to do an hour before the curfew hit and they were forced to stop. For a band you love like Metallica, easily the hands-down best option is to see them headline their own concert. Save the festivals for getting in as many bands as possible on a weekend.