Former Iron Maiden singer Blaze Bayley to perform at band’s blockbuster Knebworth festival in July, playing songs from The X Factor, Virtual XI and The Best Of The Beast

Former Iron Maiden vocalist Blaze Bayley will play a special set during the heavy metal titans’ two-day festival at Stevenage’s Knebworth Park in July.

The singer, who fronted Maiden from 1994 to ’99, will perform on the Friday night (July 10) of the Eddfest event, before the headline band and their support acts The Darkness, The Hu, Airbourne and The Almighty take the stage on the Saturday (July 11).

Bayley’s set will consist exclusively of material from his time in Maiden. He was involved in two of their studio albums, The X Factor (1995) and Virtual XI (1998), and also took part in the recording of original material for their 1996 compilation The Best Of The Beast.

Bayley comments: “I’m so excited to be invited to headline Friday night at Eddfest, celebrating 50 years of Iron Maiden. I am so proud of my two albums with the band and I'm really looking forward to playing some of the songs that we recorded together. Can’t wait to see you all at the hallowed grounds of Knebworth!”

It’s also been announced that Gypsy’s Kiss – the first band of Maiden founder, bassist and principal songwriter Steve Harris – will perform on the Friday night. Along with Bayley, they join Stray, Maiden United, Airforce, Tony Moore’s Awake and Hair Metal Glamageddon in playing the warm-up day. Every band taking to the stage that day shares history with Maiden in some way.

Eddfest, the Friday of which will also feature a Maiden museum and early access to the bar and merch stands for fans, is part of the band’s ongoing 50th-anniversary celebrations, which they kicked off last year with the start of their Run For Your Lives world tour. The second European leg of the tour will kick off in May and wrap up at Eddfest, before the band bring the production to the Americas, Asia and Australia later in the year. See all of their planned dates via their website.

Maiden are also celebrating their golden anniversary with the release of a retrospective book called Infinite Dreams, out now via Thames & Hudson, and the documentary Burning Ambition. A feature film, it will hit cinema screens around the world on May 7, featuring members of the band as well as such super-fans as Hollywood star Javier Bardem, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich and Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello.

Bayley joined Maiden in 1994, following the exit of Bruce Dickinson. His time in the band was marred by a slump in critical and commercial success, with The X Factor being their lowest-charting album since their second effort Killers in 1981. Bayley was let go in ’99 to set the stage for Dickinson’s return, but the singer went on to enjoy a long-running solo career.

The announcement of Bayley’s slot at Eddfest is the second piece of Maiden-related good news for the singer in recent days. Earlier this week, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame quietly added him to the list of members that would be inducted should Maiden be voted in later this year. Whether or not Maiden have made the cut will be announced in April.