Thrash metal legends MEGADETH took the stage as support act for IRON MAIDEN on June 2, 2026, at the Heinz Von Heiden Arena in Hannover, Germany, delivering a blistering nine-song set that has already sent shockwaves through the metal community — fan-recorded footage has been making the rounds online ever since.
The setlist was nothing short of a masterclass in thrash metal history. Opening with "Tipping Point" from their recently released self-titled farewell album, MEGADETH dove headlong into their catalogue: the iconic riff machine "Hangar 18" hit hard and early, setting the tone for what followed. In a rare treat for live audiences, "Take No Prisoners" made its tour debut — a ferocious cut seldom performed live from the classic Peace Sells...But Who's Buying? era.
The midpoint brought "Let There Be Shred," followed by a METALLICA cover — a pointed gesture from Dave Mustaine, the man James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich famously fired 43 years ago. The emotional peak came with "Tornado Of Souls," one of the most technically demanding compositions in the thrash canon, delivered with surgical precision. The closing trio of "Peace Sells," "Symphony Of Destruction," and the monolithic "Holy Wars...The Punishment Due" left the Hannover crowd rattled and euphoric in equal measure.
This performance sits in the context of MEGADETH's historic farewell chapter. The band's self-titled final studio album debuted at #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 with 73,000 equivalent units — 69,000 of those pure album sales. The record also topped charts in Australia and Austria, reached the top five across multiple European countries, and climbed to #3 in both the U.K. and Germany.
Dave Mustaine has acknowledged that while the farewell is real, the "farewell tour could last another three to five years" — giving European and global fans significant opportunities ahead. Few will argue against the symbolic weight of sharing a bill with IRON MAIDEN — arguably the greatest heavy metal live act ever assembled.
Both bands rose from the crucible of early-1980s metal and have spent four decades defining it. Watching them on the same stage in 2026 is a privilege no generation of metal fans should take lightly.
Full fan footage from the Hannover performance is circulating on metal forums and social media channels.