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Iron Maiden have urged fans to refrain from excessive filming and photographing during their upcoming concerts.
The UK metal legends’ long-time manager, Rod Smallwood, stated in a press release issued today (May 20) that the band wishes attendees at their Run For Your Lives tour to keep their phones tucked away as much as possible.
He notes that a high number of phones in the air during performances “detracts from enjoyment,” both for the band and fellow concertgoers.
He encourages attendees to remain “in the moment,” stressing that the upcoming events are not merely “celebrations of our music,” but also “about our years of art, of [band mascot] Eddie and the many realms of Maiden we have created for you.”
Smallwood’s statement reads in full: “We genuinely want fans to experience the shows firsthand, rather than through their small screens.
“The current reliance on phones diminishes enjoyment, especially for the band who sees rows of phones while performing, but also for other concertgoers.
“We believe that the passion and involvement of our fans truly make these shows exceptional, but the obsession with phones has become distractingly excessive, particularly for the band. I hope fans will understand this and be considerate by significantly limiting phone use out of respect for both the band and fellow fans.
“We would love for you to be ‘in the moment’ and fully engaged to enjoy each classic song in the spirit in which they were originally performed. This show isn’t just a celebration of our music; it is, as you will witness, also a testament to our years of art, of Eddie, and the countless worlds of Maiden we’ve crafted for you.
“So please respect the band, respect the other fans, and have the time of your lives with your Maiden family by singing your hearts out instead of reaching for your phones!
“It’s really not a lot to ask, is it?”
The opening European leg of Maiden’s Run For Your Lives tour kicks off in Budapest, Hungary, next Tuesday, May 27. The shows will feature the band’s largest-ever UK non-festival headliner since 2008, taking place at the 80,000-capacity London Stadium on June 28. See the confirmed dates below.
Maiden will perform material from their first nine albums, ranging from 1980’s Iron Maiden to 1992’s Fear Of The Dark. This tour will be notable for being the first with live drummer Simon Dawson, who is stepping in for long-time drummer Nicko McBrain. McBrain retired from live performances after the conclusion of Maiden’s The Future Past run in 2024, following a mini-stroke that affected his playing the previous year.
Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson has previously voiced his disdain for mobile phones at concerts. In an exclusive interview with Metal Hammer last year, he shared his experience attending Ghost’s phone-free concerts in Los Angeles in October 2023, which he thoroughly enjoyed.
“Everyone was engaging with each other like real human beings!” he recounted. “I’m sitting there in the regular seats, the lights are on, and people are passing by saying, ‘Hey, it’s the guy from Iron Maiden!’ They’re waving at me. ‘Hi!’ ‘Cool, hey!’ Job done!”
He added: “If they had a mobile phone, they would have been climbing over older fans [to take a picture]. The proof was that after the show, everyone got their phones back, and backstage became like Animal House. Everyone was focused on the performance.”
Ghost themselves relished the experience so much that they’ve completely banned mobile phones from their current tour. However, such strict measures will reportedly not apply to Maiden’s shows.
More Run For Your Lives dates outside of Europe are expected to be announced soon, with the tour planned to extend into 2026. A 50th-anniversary documentary film about Maiden is set to release later this year.
Iron Maiden 2025 tour dates:
May 27: Budapest Aréna, Hungary *
May 28: Budapest Aréna, Hungary *
May 31: Prague Letnany Airport, Czech Republic *
Jun 01: Bratislava TIPOS Arena, Slovakia *
Jun 05: Trondheim Rocks, Norway ≠
Jun 07: Stavanger SR-Bank Arena, Norway *
Jun 09: Copenhagen Royal Arena, Denmark *
Jun 12: Stockholm 3Arena, Sweden *
Jun 13: Stockholm 3Arena, Sweden *
Jun 16: Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Finland *
Jun 19: Dessel Graspop Metal Meeting, Belgium≠
Jun 21: Birmingham Utilita Arena, UK ^
Jun 22: Manchester Co-op Live, UK ^
Jun 25: Dublin Malahide Castle, Ireland *^
Jun 28: London Stadium, UK *^
Jun 30: Glasgow OVO Hydro, UK ^
Jul 03: Belfort Eurockéennes, France ≠
Jul 05: Madrid Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano, Spain **
Jul 06: Lisbon MEO Arena, Portugal **
Jul 09: Zurich Hallenstadion, Switzerland **
Jul 11: Gelsenkirchen Veltins-Arena, Germany **
Jul 13: Padova Stadio Euganeo, Italy **
Jul 15: Bremen Bürgerweide, Germany **
Jul 17: Vienna Ernst Happel Stadium, Austria **
Jul 19: Paris Paris La Défense Arena, France **
Jul 20: Paris Paris La Défense Arena, France **
Jul 23: Arnhem GelreDome, Netherlands **
Jul 25: Frankfurt Deutsche Bank Park, Germany **
Jul 26: Stuttgart Cannstatter Wasen, Germany **
Jul 29: Berlin Waldbühne, Germany **
Jul 30: Berlin Waldbühne, Germany **
Aug 02: Warsaw PGE Narodowy, Poland **
* = Halestorm support
^ = The Raven Age support
** = Avatar support
≠ = Festival date
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