Summer is around the bend and what would summer be without Metallica playing a few European festival shows?? This year we're going to be part of the brand spankin' new Sonisphere festival, the first and only touring European Rock festival which hits six cities for a total of seven shows. We hear that while the usual festival madness will be going on, Sonisphere will have two alternate stages so you don't have to miss a minute of the music.

Lamb of God and Mastodon are along with us for the fun at all the shows and on August 1, Linkin Park will headline the first of the two Knebworth shows (we take the stage for the second one on August 2).

As you can see below, our friends from Slipknot and Die Toten Hosen are hitting a few select cities, with Linkin Park also joining us in Finland:

• Sat 20 June Goffert Park, Nijmegen, Holland (with Slipknot)
  On sale Feb 13 at 9am local time via www.livenation.nl
  
• Sat 4 July HockenheimRing, Germany (with Die Toten Hosen)
  On sale Feb 14 at 9am local time via www.eventim.de
  
• Sat 11 July The Forum, Barcelona, Spain (with Slipknot)
  On sale Feb 16 via www.ticketmaster.es and www.mosaicodiffusion.com
  
• Sat 18 July Folkets Park, Hultsfred, Sweden (additional bands still to be announced)
  On sale March 9 via www.ticnet.se
  
• Sat 25 July Kirjurinluoto, Pori, Finland (with Linkin Park)
  On sale Feb 16 at 9am local time
  
• Sun 2 August Knebworth House, Stevenage, U.K. (additional bands to be announced)
  On sale Feb 11 at 9am local time

And FYI, but we won't be there:
Sat 1 August Knebworth House, Stevenage, U.K., with Linkin Park headlining
On sale Feb 11

There is a lot more detail at www.sonispherefestivals.com, and that's where you go to pick up tickets. All shows will be general admission only.

And for those of you still playing along and wondering if we're coming to your town this summer, there is one more show in the works...back at you in a few weeks.