Radiohead Breaks Metallica’s Attendance Record at London’s O2 Arena

Radiohead is making history at London’s O2 Arena.

Following four sold-out shows earlier this month, the iconic U.K. band broke the venue’s attendance record, previously held by Metallica in 2017.

The Oxford-formed band played the O2 on Nov. 21, 22, 24 and 25, with each show drawing more than 22,200 concert-goers, and the final show reaching 22,355 attendees, the venue announced on X.

“These past four record-breaking nights will go down in the venue’s history, with Radiohead breaking the attendance records each night,” Christian D’Acuna, the O2’s senior programming director, said in a statement.

“We knew how special these exclusive shows would be and we’re so grateful to the band for bringing them to the O2. It’s been a true honor to host them, and each night they played different set lists spanning their incredible back catalogue. These shows will be remembered for years to come.”

After a seven-year absence from touring, Radiohead returned to the stage on Nov. 4 at Madrid’s Movistar Arena to launch a sold-out 20-date European tour. The trek includes stops across the U.K. and Europe, with shows in Madrid, Bologna, Copenhagen, Berlin, and the four-night residency in London.

This marks Radiohead’s first live performances together since summer 2018, when they played at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center in August of that year.

Reflecting on the recent reunion, drummer Philip Selway said in a press statement, “Last year, we got together to rehearse, just for the hell of it. After a seven-year pause, it felt really good to play the songs again and reconnect with a musical identity that has become lodged deep inside all five of us.”

Radiohead went on hiatus after completing an extensive world tour supporting their 2016 album, A Moon Shaped Pool. The album became their sixth No. 1 on the U.K. Official Albums Chart, reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200, and earned the group a Coachella headlining slot in 2017.