Bruce Dickinson will headline the next installment of Poland’s “The Legend Of Rock Symphonic” series, sharing a stage with the Beethoven Academy Orchestra at the Spodek Arena in Katowice.
The concert lands on January 30, 2027 – Spodek, Wojciecha Korfantego 35 Ave., Katowice, with a 8:00 p.m. start.
The Iron Maiden frontman’s own catalogue sits at the center of the program. His songs will be presented in purpose-built symphonic arrangements designed to keep the rock delivery intact while placing it inside a full orchestral texture.
Beyond Dickinson‘s material, the evening reaches into the wider canon. Scores drawn from the biggest songs by Metallica, Queen and AC/DC are confirmed, and the published repertoire also lists Deep Purple. Polish rock standards are part of the setlist as well, in keeping with how the series has been built.
Stanisław Słowiński conducts. The production is rounded out by a roster of guest vocalists and a modern visual staging.
Joining Dickinson on the Spodek stage:
- Grzegorz Kupczyk (ex-Turbo)
- Andrzej “Kobra” Kraiński (Kobranocka)
- Grzegorz “Ornette” Stępień (Oddział Zamknięty)
- Tomasz “Oley” Olejnik (Proletaryat)
- Marek Pająk (Vader) – guitar
- Jakub Kaczmarek – guitar
- Piotr Szpalik – drums
- Beethoven Academy Orchestra
The Polish contingent carries real weight domestically. Kupczyk fronted Turbo across the band’s defining 1980s run, Kraiński has led Kobranocka since the punk-rock scene of that same decade, and Pająk has handled guitar duties in death metal institution Vader.
The Beethoven Academy Orchestra ranks among Poland’s foremost symphonic ensembles of the younger generation. Its ranks are drawn from standout students and graduates of European conservatories, among them the Academy of Music in Krakow, the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Stuttgart, the Hochschule für Musik in Karlsruhe, the Royal Music Conservatoire in Brussels, the Conservatoire International de Musique in Paris and the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Graz.
The orchestra formed in 2003 on the back of its showing at the 53rd Festival Junger Künstler Bayreuth.
“The Legend Of Rock Symphonic” has run for years as a recurring Polish production pairing rock repertoire with a symphony orchestra, changing its guest lineup and arrangements with each edition.
Earlier installments have brought in Tarja Turunen, formerly of Nightwish, and Marko Hietala, along with Polish names including Krzysztof Cugowski, Marek Piekarczyk, Kasia Kowalska, Małgorzata Ostrowska and Maciej Balcar.
Dickinson‘s booking marks the highest-profile international name the series has secured. The vocalist released his solo album The Mandrake Project in 2024, his first outside Iron Maiden in nearly two decades, and toured it extensively through 2024 and 2025.
Dickinson has also finished tracking vocals for his new solo album, moving the follow-up to 2024’s The Mandrake Project into its final stage ahead of a tentative early-2027 release through BMG.
