Metallica Pays Tribute to Rush with Instrumental Medley in Toronto

Metallica Honors Rush in Toronto with Instrumental Medley

Metallica brought their high-octane M72 World Tour to Toronto’s Rogers Centre on Saturday night, delivering a powerful set filled with classics and new material. In a heartfelt gesture, the band paid tribute to Toronto’s own rock icons, Rush, with a special instrumental segment during the show.

The tribute came during the “Kirk and Rob Doodle,” a fan-favorite part of Metallica’s set where guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Rob Trujillo take center stage for a unique performance. On this night, the duo delighted fans by playing a medley of Rush’s progressive masterpieces—starting with “La Villa Strangiato” from the 1978 album Hemispheres and segueing into the high-energy instrumental “YYZ,” from 1981’s Moving Pictures.

“Thank you so much,” Trujillo said to the crowd after the medley. “Rush, we love you. Geddy, Alex, Neil—we love you.”

The rest of the night saw Metallica powering through a setlist that spanned their entire career. They opened with “Whiplash” from their 1983 debut Kill ‘Em All and performed several tracks from their latest album 72 Seasons, including “Lux Æterna,” “Screaming Suicide,” and “Inamorata.” Other highlights included fan favorites like “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” “The Unforgiven,” and the emotionally charged “One.” The band closed the night with their legendary anthem, “Enter Sandman.”

Metallica continues their world tour with a two-night stop in Nashville beginning May 1. Below is a look at their upcoming tour dates across North America and beyond:

Upcoming Metallica Tour Dates (Select):

• May 3, 2025 – Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN (with Limp Bizkit, Ice Nine Kills)

• May 7, 2025 – Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, VA (with Pantera, Suicidal Tendencies)

• May 9 & 11, 2025 – Sonic Temple Festival, Columbus, OH (with Korn, Linkin Park)

• May 23 & 25, 2025 – Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA

• May 28, 2025 – Northwest Stadium, Landover, MD

• May 31, 2025 – Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC

• Jun 3, 2025 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA

• Jun 6 & 8, 2025 – Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL

• Jun 14, 2025 – NRG Stadium, Houston, TX

• Jun 20 & 22, 2025 – Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA

• Jun 27 & 29, 2025 – Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, CO

• Jul 5, 2025 – Villa Park, Birmingham, UK (with Black Sabbath, Slayer, Pantera)

• Nov 1–19, 2025 – Australia & New Zealand Tour

• Dec 3, 2025 – Al Dana Amphitheatre, Bahrain

• Dec 6, 2025 – Etihad Park, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Metallica’s ongoing tour continues to celebrate the legacy of heavy metal while honoring the legends that paved the way—making their Toronto homage to Rush a standout moment for fans of both iconic bands.