Iron Maiden has officially closed the book on the routing for their massive 2026 “Run For Your Lives” World Tour. In a new announcement, the band confirmed that Australia and New Zealand will be the final countries added to the itinerary. The group also explicitly stated that no further nations will be added to the schedule before they take a planned, year-long break in 2027.
Making this final leg even more monumental, Iron Maiden revealed that thrash metal titans Megadeth will join them as special guests for the duration of the above mentioned run. Megadeth is currently riding high off the success of their self-titled final studio release, Megadeth, which recently hit number one in both Australia and the U.S.
The pairing of these two heavy metal institutions is a historic moment. Steve shared his enthusiasm for the lineup and the finality of the tour:
“We are very excited to be bringing this tour to Australia & New Zealand later this year. And even more so as we are bringing Megadeth with us. Dave and I have been friends for years and we are very proud to have them as our special guests on their last-ever world tour. I think our fans will really appreciate this and it will make it an even more memorable show for everyone. We very much look forward to getting down there to see you all at the end of 2026!”
Promoter Paul Dainty AO echoed the massive scale of the upcoming shows:
“This will be Iron Maiden’s biggest tour of Australasia ever. Headlining stadiums in Melbourne and Sydney for the first time in their 50-year history is a massive moment. And with Megadeth joining the tour, this is going to be an absolute powerhouse night of metal — two giants of the genre, one colossal production, and a show Maiden fans won’t know what hit them.”
This 50th Anniversary trek marks Iron Maiden‘s eighth tour Down Under. It will be the first time the band headlines outdoor stadiums in Melbourne and Sydney, allowing them to bring their full, state-of-the-art stage production to the region.
Manager Rod detailed what fans can expect from the shows and the career-spanning setlist:
“We are delighted to be returning to Australia and New Zealand just two years after our last visit to that part of the world. It’s always a great experience playing to our fans there, and we know they really appreciate seeing us whenever we can visit. And this time we are playing some new outdoor venues too, including the Allianz Stadium in Sydney and AAMI Park in Melbourne. I can promise our fans that they are in for a real treat with this setlist and show. The band have been loving revisiting this era and especially enjoy playing these songs with the state-of-the-art visuals we’ve created to accompany them. We’ve got all the big ones from the early days including “Hallowed Be Thy Name“, “Run To The Hills“, “Phantom of the Opera“, “Trooper“, “Number Of The Beast“, “Killers“, “Powerslave“, “2 Minutes To Midnight” and more. Plus there’s some true epics including “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” and “Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son“, which will be even more special because these shows will be at the very end of ‘The Run For Your Lives Tour,’ and so the final time the band will ever be playing a number of these songs.”
As they did during the European dates, Iron Maiden is strongly urging fans to experience the show without the distraction of mobile devices.
“One thing to add, it was really special on our European dates last year to see that the vast majority of our fans appreciated and respected our request to severely limit their use of phones at our concerts, ideally just keeping it in their pockets the whole time, especially in those standing areas in front of the stage. Our fans’ understanding and cooperation made a colossal difference to the atmosphere of every show and increased the enjoyment enormously for the band and fans alike. Therefore we ask all our fans in Australia and New Zealand to do the same and enjoy the show ‘in the moment’ rather than film on their phones. Please keep them in your pockets.”
Additionally, Rod confirmed the return of popular fan experiences:
“As it was first ‘tested’ in Australasia on ‘The Future Past Tour‘ we will be bringing the now hugely popular Eddie’s Pop-up Dive Bar experience back over with us. Our European fans loved these too and we’re convinced that the mix of Maiden fans, Trooper Beer & exclusive Tour merch makes for a winning combination.”
“Likewise, we will continue to offer the well-loved Trooper VIP Experience at all venues.”
Iron Maiden Fan Club pre-sales begin on Monday, March 2, with general public sales launching on Friday, March 6.
Iron Maiden “Run For Your Lives” 2026 World Tour Dates:
- 05/23 – Athens, GREECE @ OAKA (feat. Anthrax)
- 05/26 – Sofia, BULGARIA @ Vasil Levski Stadium (feat. Anthrax)
- 05/28 – Bucharest, ROMANIA @ Arena Națională (feat. Anthrax)
- 05/30 – Bratislava, SLOVAKIA @ Národný Futbalový Štadión (feat. Anthrax)
- 06/02 – Hannover, GERMANY @ Heinz von Heiden Arena (feat. Megadeth)
- 06/04 – Solvesborg, SWEDEN @ Sweden Rock
- 06/06 – Nurnberg, GERMANY @ Zeppelinfield (Rock IM Park)
- 06/07 – Nurburgring, GERMANY @ Rock AM Ring
- 06/10 – Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS @ Ziggo Dome (feat. Evergrey)
- 06/13 – Nickelsdorf, AUSTRIA @ Nova Rock
- 06/14 – Hradec Kralove, CZECH REPUBLIC @ Rock For People
- 06/17 – Milan, ITALY @ San Siro Stadium (feat. Trivium)
- 06/19 – Clisson, FRANCE @ Hellfest
- 06/22 – Paris, FRANCE @ Paris La Défense Arena (feat. Evergrey)
- 06/24 – 06/27 – Copenhagen, DENMARK @ Copenhell
- 06/25 – Oslo, NORWAY @ Tons of Rock
- 06/28 – Lyon, FRANCE @ Groupama Stadium (feat. Anthrax)
- 06/29 – Antwerp, BELGIUM @ Live is Live
- 07/01 – 07/04 – Viveiro, SPAIN @ Resurrection Fest
- 07/04 – Cartagena, SPAIN @ Rock Imperium Festival
- 07/07 – Lisbon, PORTUGAL @ Estádio da Luz (feat. Anthrax)
- 07/11 – Knebworth, UK @ EddFest (feat. The Darkness, The Hu, Airbourne, The Almighty)
- 08/29 – Toronto, ON, CANADA @ Scotiabank Arena (feat. Megadeth)
- 08/30 – Toronto, ON, CANADA @ Scotiabank Arena (feat. Megadeth)
- 09/03 – Montréal, QC, CANADA @ Parc Jean-Drapeau (feat. Megadeth, Anthrax)
- 09/05 – Harrison, NJ, USA @ Sports Illustrated Stadium (feat. Megadeth, Anthrax)
- 09/06 – Harrison, NJ, USA @ Sports Illustrated Stadium (feat. Megadeth, Anthrax)
- 09/09 – Boston, MA, USA @ TD Garden (feat. Megadeth)
- 09/11 – Bristow, VA, USA @ Jiffy Lube Live (feat. Megadeth)
- 09/12 – Charlotte, NC, USA @ PNC Music Pavilion (feat. Megadeth)
- 09/15 – Hershey, PA, USA @ Hersheypark Stadium (feat. Megadeth)
- 09/17 – Louisville, KY, USA @ Louder Than Life Festival
- 09/19 – Shakopee, MN, USA @ Mystic Lake Amphitheater (feat. Megadeth)
- 09/22 – Chicago, IL, USA @ Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre (feat. Megadeth)
- 09/25 – Los Angeles, CA, USA @ BMO Stadium (feat. Megadeth, Anthrax)
- 09/26 – Los Angeles, CA, USA @ BMO Stadium (feat. Megadeth, Anthrax)
- 09/29 – San Antonio, TX, USA @ Alamodome (feat. Megadeth, Anthrax)
- 10/02 – Mexico City, MEXICO @ Estadio GNP Seguros (feat. Anthrax)
- 10/05 – San Salvador, EL SALVADOR @ Estadio Jorge “Mágico” González (feat. The Raven Age, Souls of Steel)
- 10/08 – San José, COSTA RICA @ Estadio Nacional (feat. The Raven Age)
- 10/11 – Bogotá, COLOMBIA @ Vive Claro (feat. The Raven Age)
- 10/14 – Quito, ECUADOR @ Estadio Atahualpa (feat. The Raven Age)
- 10/17 – Lima, PERU @ Estadio Nacional (feat. The Raven Age)
- 10/20 – Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA @ Estadio Hurácan (feat. La H No Murió)
- 10/21 – Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA @ Estadio Hurácan (feat. La H No Murió)
- 10/25 – São Paulo, BRAZIL @ Allianz Parque (feat. Alter Bridge)
- 10/27 – São Paulo, BRAZIL @ Allianz Parque (feat. Alter Bridge)
- 10/31 – Santiago, CHILE @ Estadio Nacional (feat. Mammoth, Nuclear)
- 11/01 – Santiago, CHILE @ Estadio Nacional (feat. Mammoth, Nuclear)
- 11/07 – Auckland, NEW ZEALAND @ Spark Arena (feat. Megadeth)
- 11/11 – Adelaide, AUSTRALIA @ Adelaide Entertainment Centre (feat. Megadeth)
- 11/13 – Melbourne, AUSTRALIA @ AAMI Park (feat. Megadeth)
- 11/15 – Sydney, AUSTRALIA @ Allianz Stadium (feat. Megadeth)
- 11/18 – Brisbane, AUSTRALIA @ Brisbane Entertainment Centre (feat. Megadeth)
- 11/24 – Yokohama, JAPAN @ K-Arena
- 11/25 – Yokohama, JAPAN @ K-Arena
