Iron Maiden has been confirmed as a headliner for two of Scandinavia’s biggest rock festivals, Copenhell and Tons of Rock, in June 2026. According to bassist Steve Harris, the focus on major festival appearances for the band’s upcoming tour is a deliberate strategy, as the band still loves the “challenge” of playing to a diverse audience.
The new announcements, made on Monday, September 22, are the first festival dates to be revealed for the second European leg of the band’s “Run For Your Lives” 50th-anniversary world tour. Iron Maiden will perform at Copenhell in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Tons of Rock in Oslo, Norway, both of which take place between June 24 and June 27, 2026.
In a recent statement, Steve Harris explained the band’s motivation for making festivals a cornerstone of their 2026 run.
“We are all loving this RUN FOR YOUR LIVES TOUR,” Harris said. “We’ve always enjoyed playing festivals, especially as we get to play to people who aren’t just there for us, and we love that challenge! So we decided to revisit as many great Metal festivals as we could get to in this period.”
The 2026 tour dates will be the last chance for fans to see the legendary band perform live for the foreseeable future. Last week, Iron Maiden confirmed that they will be taking a “well-earned break from the road in 2027,” adding a sense of urgency to all of their upcoming shows. The tour will also feature a special stop at the Paris La Défense Arena on June 22, where the concert will be professionally filmed for a future release with a mandatory phone-free general admission floor.
The addition of these two major festival headlining slots reinforces the band’s plan for a massive and celebratory final run in 2026 before their planned hiatus.
Iron Maiden “Run For Your Lives” 2026 European Tour Dates:
- May 23 – Athens, GREECE – OAKA
- May 26 – Sofia, BULGARIA – Vasil Levski Stadium
- May 28 – Bucharest, ROMANIA – Arena Națională
- May 30 – Bratislava, SLOVAKIA – Národný Futbalový Štadión
- Jun. 02 – Hannover, GERMANY – Heinz von Heiden Arena
- Jun. 10 – Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS – Ziggo Dome
- Jun. 17 – Milan, ITALY – San Siro Stadium
- Jun. 22 – Paris, FRANCE – Paris La Défense Arena
- Jun. 24-27 – Copenhagen, DENMARK – Copenhell
- Jun. 24-27 – Oslo, NORWAY – Tons of Rock
- Jun. 28 – Lyon, FRANCE – Groupama Stadium
- Jul. 07 – Lisbon, PORTUGAL – Estádio da Luz
- Jul. 11 – UK Headline Show – Details TBA
