As Iron Maiden prepare to launch their monumental “Run For Your Lives” 50th anniversary world tour in Budapest next week, the legendary British metal band has made a heartfelt request to their fans: put the phones down and live in the moment.
Rather than implementing strict no-phone policies seen at some concerts — such as locking devices in pouches — Maiden are appealing directly to their fanbase, trusting them to respect the live experience without the need for enforcement.
The message, shared today by longtime manager Rod Smallwood on behalf of the band, encourages concertgoers to “severely limit” the use of mobile phones and tablets during performances. It’s a move aimed at preserving the spirit and energy of the band’s most ambitious show yet.
“The Run For Your Lives World Tour marks 50 years since Steve [Harris] formed the band in late 1975,” the band said in a statement. “To celebrate, Maiden fans are promised a very special setlist spanning the nine studio albums from Iron Maiden to Fear of the Dark, with our most spectacular and elaborate show ever.”
In keeping with the era that gave birth to their legacy, Iron Maiden are hoping fans will experience the concerts as they did in the 1980s — fully immersed, without the distraction of screens.
Smallwood elaborated: “We really want fans to enjoy the shows first hand, rather than on their small screens. The amount of phone use nowadays diminishes enjoyment, particularly for the band who are on stage looking out at rows of phones, but also for other concertgoers. We feel that the passion and involvement of our fans at shows really makes them special, but the phone obsession has now got so out of hand that it has become unnecessarily distracting especially to the band. I hope fans understand this and will be sensible in severely limiting the use of their phone cameras out of respect for the band and their fellow fans”.
“We would very much like you to be ‘in the moment’ instead and be fully actively involved to enjoy each and every one of these classic songs in the spirit and manner they were first played. This show isn’t just a celebration of our music; it is, as you will see, also about our years of art, of Eddie and of the many, many worlds of Maiden we have created for you”.
“So please respect the band, respect the other fans and have the time of your lives as you join your MAIDEN family by singing your heart out, rather than getting your phone out!! It’s really not a lot to ask is it?”
“Run For Your Lives” tour dates are as follows:
May 27, 2025 – Budapest, HUNGARY – Budapest Aréna
May 28, 2025 – Budapest, HUNGARY – Budapest Aréna
May 31, 2025 – Prague, CZECH REPUBLIC – Letnany Airport
June 1, 2025 – Bratislava, SLOVAKIA – TIPOS Arena
June 5, 2025 – Trondheim, NORWAY – Trondheim Rocks (Festival)
June 7, 2025 – Stavanger, NORWAY – SR-Bank Arena
June 9, 2025 – Copenhagen, DENMARK – Royal Arena
June 12, 2025 – Stockholm, SWEDEN – 3Arena
June 13, 2025 – Stockholm, SWEDEN – 3Arena
June 16, 2025 – Helsinki, FINLAND – Olympic Stadium
June 19, 2025 – Dessel, BELGIUM – Graspop Metal Meeting
June 21, 2025 – Birmingham, ENGLAND – Utilita Arena
June 22, 2025 – Manchester, ENGLAND – Co-op Live
June 25, 2025 – Dublin, IRELAND – Malahide Castle
June 28, 2025 – London, ENGLAND – London Stadium
June 30, 2025 – Glasgow, SCOTLAND – OVO Hydro
July 3, 2025 – Belfort, FRANCE – Eurockéennes Festival
July 5, 2025 – Madrid, SPAIN – Riyadh Air Metropolitano
July 6, 2025 – Lisbon, PORTUGAL – MEO Arena
July 9, 2025 – Zurich, SWITZERLAND – Hallenstadion
July 11, 2025 – Gelsenkirchen, GERMANY – Veltins-Arena
July 13, 2025 – Padova, ITALY – Stadio Euganeo
July 15, 2025 – Bremen, GERMANY – Bürgerweide
July 17, 2025 – Vienna, AUSTRIA – Ernst Happel Stadium
July 19, 2025 – Paris, FRANCE – Paris La Défense Arena
July 20, 2025 – Paris, FRANCE – Paris La Défense Arena
July 23, 2025 – Arnhem, NETHERLANDS – GelreDome
July 25, 2025 – Frankfurt, GERMANY – Deutsche Bank Park
July 26, 2025 – Stuttgart, GERMANY – Cannstatter Wasen
July 29, 2025 – Berlin, GERMANY – Waldbühne
July 30, 2025 – Berlin, GERMANY – Waldbühne
August 2, 2025 – Warsaw, POLAND – PGE Narodowy
Writer and extreme metal devotee, Ialdagorth has spent over a decade covering the darkest corners of heavy music. A black metal lifer, he spends his free time wandering the Carpathian Mountains, likely humming blast beats to the trees.
