Iron Maiden announce more European shows for 2026, including phone-free Paris concert and secret UK date

Iron Maiden have added extra European dates to their Run For Your Lives world tour.

The London heavy metal titans will return to their native continent for 11 shows from May to July 2026. Among the dates will be a return to La Défense Arena in Paris, where they played two sold-out concerts earlier this year. There they’ll put on a show that’s completely phone-free and filmed for an upcoming release.

On July 11, the band will play a headline UK date, following on from the ones they played this June, which will take place at an as-yet-undisclosed location.

Tickets go on sale next week. See the full list of dates below.

As well as these headline shows, Maiden say that they will play a number of festivals in 2026, details of which will be announced at a later date. The band have confirmed that they will hit other markets in late 2026, and that they will then take the year 2027 off from live shows entirely.

Maiden did the first leg of their Run For Your Lives tour across Europe from May to July 2025. The band played a special setlist exclusively composed of material from their first 10 albums, 1980’s Iron Maiden through to 1992’s Fear Of The Dark, to commemorate their 50th anniversary.

The Run For Your Lives dates were their first with touring drummer Simon Dawson, who’s also played with founder/bassist Steve Harris in Harris’ side-project British Lion. Dawson stepped in for longtime Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain, who retired from the live stage last year after suffering a TIA (transient ischaemic attack, or mini-stroke) in January 2023.

Metal Hammer attended the first show of the Run For Your Lives tour in Budapest in May and awarded it a near-perfect four-and-a-half stars. Journalist Merlin Alderslade wrote in his review: “As an anthemic Wasted Years brings us home courtesy of another banger of a digital set, it seems Iron Maiden have pulled off a rare trick: celebrating the past by stepping into a bold new future.”

The Paris date’s phone ban will be enforced using Yondr pouches: small bags that attendees have their phones placed in, which are then magnetically sealed and kept on the attendee’s person. The only way to unseal them is to approach security as you exit the auditorium. The practice has been famously used by hard rockers Ghost since 2023, and last year Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson spoke very highly of the idea.

The new Run For Your Lives dates will continue the Eddie’s Dive Bar concept: small pop-up stores that are opened near each arena and sell exclusive merchandise, as well as Trooper Beer and other beverages.

Iron Maiden 2026 European tour dates:

May 23: Athens OAKA, Greece
May 26: Sofia Vasil Levski Stadium, Bulgaria
May 28: Bucharest Arena Națională, Romania
May 30: Bratislava Národný Futbalový Štadión, Slovakia
Jun 02: Hannover Heinz von Heiden Arena, Germany
Jun 10: Amsterdam Ziggo Dome, Netherlands
Jun 17: Milan San Siro Stadium, Italy
Jun 22: Paris La Défense Arena, France
Jun 28: Lyon-Décines Groupama Stadium, France
Jul 07: Lisbon Estádio da Luz, Portugal
Jul 11: TBA, UK