Has it always been your dream to open for Metallica? Well, a group of lucky bands will compete for the opportunity to open for the thrash titans on the U.S. leg of their 'WorldWired' tour in support of Hardwired... To Self-Destruct!

The winner of this 'Hit the Stage' contest will open for Metallica on five dates (seen below) of their upcoming stadium tour with Avenged Sevenfold, Volbeat and Gojira. Since some of the trek's dates only feature one opener, Metallica opted to tap into the local scene for support, much like the fan-voted contests in Central and South America, Copenhagen and Mexico City.

With the contest currently underway, fans can vote by visiting the sites of participating radio markets: KEGL (Dallas, Texas), WLUP (Chicago, Ill.), KISS (San Antonio, Texas) and KPNT (St. Louis, Mo.). Each station will tally the votes and send two finalists from each contest to a head-to-head matchup on Metallica's website starting April 14. The band with the most votes will be revealed 10 days later, landing the opportunity of a lifetime.

For a list of all stops on the North American leg of the 'WorldWired' tour, head to our 2017 Guide to Rock + Metal Tours.

It remains to be seen if Metallica will continue to perform their new song "Moth Into Flame" after receiving a cease-and-desist order from '80s death metal band Incubus, who have alleged Metallica lifted riffs from the band's song "Hunger for Power" of their 1988 record, Serpent Temptation.

'Hit the Stage' Contest Winner Tour Dates With Metallica

5/19 – Foxborough, Mass. @ Gillette Stadium (also with Volbeat)
6/04 – St. Louis, Mo. @ Busch Stadium (also with Volbeat)
6/14 – San Antonio, Texas @ Alamodome (also with Avenged Sevenfold)
6/16 – Dallas, Texas @ AT&T Stadium (also with Avenged Sevenfold)
6/18 – Chicago, Ill. @ Soldier Field (also with Avenged Sevenfold)

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