Recommendations of the Editorial team
Stadium concerts have a catch. You either stand far away, or so far away that you primarily perceive the band through the screen – i.e. television with a better sound system. Metallica has solved this problem in its own way: On the M72 World Tour, the band is not in front of the audience, but in the audience. The stage is a 360° construction in the middle of the stadium. And right in the center is the Snake Pit – a standing area for a few hundred lucky people who don’t just watch the concert, but stand in it.
In the middle of the ring
Anyone standing in the Snake Pit is in the center of a ring-shaped stage – the band plays around you on a 120 meter long circular walkway. Hetfield, Hammett and Trujillo walk around the ring, and Lars Ulrich uses four drum sets that can rise from the ground at different points in the ring. It is probably the most intimate way to experience one of the biggest metal bands in the world live – in a stadium with usually around 50,000 people.
The catch: You can’t just get in there. Anyone who has a normal concert ticket will stay outside. There are exactly two ways to get into the Snake Pit.
Pay or hope
Way one: pay. The “Snake Pit” package costs 901.50 euros for the Frankfurt double show. There is access to the Black Box Lounge, early entry and other amenities. That sounds like a lot – but compared to the “Lux Eterna Private Platform Experience” for around 6,500 euros, it’s almost a bargain. After all, fans get a private viewing platform directly in front of the stage, as well as a cool box filled with soft drinks and beer.
Path two: hope. Metallica’s “Fifth Member” fan club raffles off a certain number of snake pit seats for free before every show. And in the best case scenario, you find yourself in the middle of it all and don’t really know what to do with all the euphoria.
Part of the show
And that’s perhaps the nicest thing about the Snake Pit: It doesn’t democratize the stadium concert – it just takes a few hundred people out and lets them pretend they’re part of the show for a few hours. Which, in a certain sense, they are.
The special atmosphere sometimes attracts prominent guests: Most recently, actor Jason Momoa could be found in the inner area of the circular mosh pit. Fans on social media agree: “Every penny was worth it,” they say. So if you were quick enough to secure a ticket or saw the Metallica admin walking around with two green ribbons, you can look forward to an extraordinary experience.
