Here’s what Metallica and Linkin Park were reportedly set to earn from cancelled Sick New World festival
Metallica and Linkin Park had been set to earn several million dollars apiece for their headline sets at Sick New World 2025, before the festival was cancelled last week.
The event, which focuses on rock, nu-metal and industrial music, was scheduled to return to Las Vegas Festival Grounds in April for its third edition.
Other names on the line-up included Evanescence, Queens Of The Stone Age, The Flaming Lips, Gojira, Cradle Of Filth, Refused, Cannibal Corpse and AFI.
In a statement posted on November 29, however, organisers announced that next year’s Sick New World would not be taking place due to “unforeseen circumstances”.
“We extend our heartfelt thanks to all the dedicated SNW fans who had made plans to join us for another cultural celebration of hard rock, goth, alternative, and heavy music,” the update read.
“Please stay tuned for further and future information regarding Sick New World.”
It has since been reported that Sick New World didn’t sell enough tickets for its 2025 festival, per Loudwire. Additionally, it is said that Metallica and Linkin Park had been guaranteed $5million (£3.9m) each for their performances alone.
The publication also noted that the event needed to either sell out or come close to selling this amount of tickets to make up for these huge price tags.
According to the report, Sick New World only sold approximately 20,000 tickets out of the venue’s 60,000 capacity.
It cited the high ticket prices ($472/£373 for general admission) as a potential factor, as well as the line-up – which was slightly different to the bills made up of largely nu-metal acts in 2023 and 2024.
Upon announcing the cancellation of Sick New World 2025, organisers said tickets purchased directly from Front Gate Tickets would be automatically refunded via the original method of payment within 30 days.
Metallica are set to take their ‘M72’ world tour to North America, Australia and New Zealand next year. Linkin Park, meanwhile, recently confirmed a huge 2025 global tour – including a massive show at London’s Wembley Stadium (visit here to buy UK tickets, and here for international tickets).
The latter band released a new album last month, ‘From Zero’, which is their first full-length project since the passing of frontman Chester Bennington, and features Emily Armstrong as frontwoman.
Mike Shinoda and co. have shared a handful of singles from the record – ‘Heavy Is The Crown’, ‘The Emptiness Machine’, ‘Over Each Other’ and ‘Casualty’ – and played several live shows.
‘From Zero’ debuted at Number One in 10 countries, including the UK. “I don’t know what our last Number One was, but it was a very long time ago,” Shinoda said of topping the albums chart on these shores. “This is very cool. It’s a big deal to all of us.”
He had previously explained that this “new chapter” of Linkin Park was “not about erasing the past”. More recently, Shinoda said he didn’t want the group to sound like a covers band.
In a three-star review, NME described ‘From Zero’ as “an intriguing mix of sensational, knockout stadium rock and some perplexingly tired songwriting”.
Meanwhile, Linkin Park have announced a ‘From Zero’ concert film that is due to hit cinemas at some point in 2025.
The post Here’s what Metallica and Linkin Park were reportedly set to earn from cancelled Sick New World festival appeared first on NME.
Tom Skinner
NME
