Metallica to Play Virginia Tech's Lane Stadium to Salute 'Enter Sandman' Tradition

The band will visit Blacksburg, Va. for the first time.

Sep 7, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; The Virginia Tech Hokies runs onto the field before the game against the Marshall Thundering Herd at Lane Stadium. / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

When sports fans hear Metallica's 1991 hit "Enter Sandman," two things generally come to mind: Hall of Fame former New York Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera (who used it as entrance music), and Virginia Tech football.

The Hokies have set their team's entrance to "Enter Sandman" since 2000, when they installed a new scoreboard at Lane Stadium while at the absolute peak of their cultural power. The song's aura quickly became beloved by Virginia Tech fans and feared by the rest of the country.

Now, 25 years after the tradition began, Metallica is headed to Blacksburg, Va. for the first time.

The legendary heavy metal band will play a show at Lane Stadium on May 7 as part of their ongoing M72 World Tour, Virginia Tech announced Thursday morning.

"The show at Lane Stadium will mark the culmination of 20+ years of 'Enter Sandman' playing as the Hokies take the field," Metallica said in its own release.

Lane Stadium seats 65,632 for Hokies games—and while Virginia Tech's fortunes have waned a bit in recent years, "Enter Sandman" retains an extraordinary power. Take a look at the song's playing before a 2017 top-15 showdown with Clemson here.

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