Heavy metal titans Iron Maiden are preparing to launch their highly anticipated Eddfest event, scheduled to take over Knebworth Park in Hertfordshire on July 10 and 11. While the band is currently the main attraction for the summer weekender, frontman Bruce Dickinson believes the festival could eventually thrive without them.
In a recent interview featured in the new issue of Classic Rock magazine, Bruce Dickinson sat down with bassist Steve Harris and guitarist Adrian Smith to discuss the upcoming Knebworth party. During the conversation, Steve Harris likened the atmosphere of the planned event to “a medieval fair.”
Expanding on the long-term potential of the festival, Bruce Dickinson suggested it could easily outlast the band’s touring days.
“Eddfest could even become a festival that didn’t have Iron Maiden in it,” he said. “Just bands in the same spirit.”
The historic Knebworth Park site holds some notoriously crowded memories for Steve Harris. The bassist recalled his very first experience at the venue back in 1976, when he attended a massive show headlined by The Rolling Stones.
“It was ridiculous,” told Steve Harris. “As soon as you put your foot out, you had to step over somebody; people were getting really ratty. I watched [opening acts] Lynyrd Skynyrd and Todd Rundgren and thought: ‘Nah, I’ve had enough, I’m out of here.’ Do you know, I’ve still never seen the Stones, which is a shame.”
For the debut edition of Eddfest, the members of Iron Maiden took full control of curating the supporting lineup to match the spirit of the event. The hand-picked roster includes former Iron Maiden singer Blaze Bayley, veteran blues rockers Stray, The Almighty, Mongolian folk-metal act The Hu, Australian hard rockers Airbourne, and the flamboyant British rock group The Darkness.
Addressing the bill, Steve Harris expressed his appreciation for their live energy. “I know The Darkness are a different type of band,” he noted. “But I think they’re really entertaining.”
Inside Eddfest fans will be able to explore the “Infinite Dreams Museum Experience,” a walk-through display of stage props and relics, inspired by Sunday Times Bestseller book “Infinite Dreams“. This is an unprecedented and completely unique opportunity to view Maiden relics up close and personal.
Fans will also encounter “Maidenville,” where you will find the greatest Eddie’s Dive Bar yet, a second stage for music and entertainment, the Unfair Funfair featuring rides and Eddie-themed Funfair Games, plus Eddie’s Emporium and much more to explore throughout the site.
Friday night campers will be able to gain early access to the site and experiences, including first access to the “Infinite Dreams Museum Experience.” There will also be a whole evening of entertainment planned on the “Maidenville” stage featuring a mix of special acts with a connection to Maiden. This is all topped off with the previously announced main stage on the Saturday, featuring an exceptional supporting line-up, ahead of Iron Maiden’s show-stopping “Run For Your Lives” performance.
Band’s manager Rod Smallwood explained: “After the monumental shows in the UK last year, we knew that if we were going to play the UK in 2026 it had to be very different. So we chose Knebworth Park as it gives us the space required – which is just not available in stadiums – to put together something groundbreaking for our fans by creating a Maiden World for them. We are excited to now reveal the details of this one-off event to celebrate the band’s 50 year career, which we are now calling Eddfest, because, as everyone knows, Eddie is the true star of the show!”
“We also know Maiden fans are basically a huge gang and we want to give them a weekend to remember at Knebworth. For the last couple of tours we have been arranging the Eddie Dive Bars for our fans, both pre- and post-show. Some of these took over the entire centres of towns with thousands of fans gathered there enjoying the fun, the music and each other’s company. So Eddfest is going to expand on that concept in a huge variety of ways, to create a truly unmissable Maiden World over the whole weekend!”
“There will be a whole host of great music, great beer (of course!), lots of exciting and varied fun things to do, great souvenirs and merch, some unique and fantastic photo opportunities to create unbeatable Maiden memories, and of course, the true camaraderie that comes from being a Maiden fan.”
