British heavy metal legends Iron Maiden will not be attending their induction into the 2026 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, despite being officially named among this year’s honorees.
The ceremony is scheduled for November 14 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. However, Maiden will be on the road in Australia at the time, with shows locked in for November 13 in Melbourne and November 15 in Sydney, making attendance impossible due to tour commitments.
Speaking to Billboard via email, manager Rod Smallwood confirmed the decision and emphasized the band’s priorities: “As the most observant have already noticed, the band will be on tour in Australia around the November date of the induction ceremony for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in Los Angeles. In accepting, Iron Maiden made it very clear to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame that the fans always come first and that the shows will, of course, go on.
“We would like to assure all our fans in Australasia that the Australian and New Zealand dates will remain unaffected,” Smallwood added, “and we look forward to bringing the ‘Run For Your Lives’ tour to them on the penultimate stop of our 50th-anniversary celebrations.”
The Australasian leg of the tour begins November 7 with two performances at Spark Arena in Auckland. From there, the band moves through Adelaide Entertainment Centre on November 11, then AAMI Park on November 13, Allianz Stadium on November 15, and finishes with two shows at Brisbane Entertainment Centre on November 18 and 19. Megadeth will serve as support on the entire run.
Iron Maiden were recently confirmed as part of a stacked 2026 induction class that also includes Phil Collins, Billy Idol, Joy Division / New Order, Oasis, Sade, Luther Vandross and Wu-Tang Clan in the Performer category.
Other honorees include Celia Cruz, Fela Kuti, Queen Latifah, MC Lyte and Gram Parsons, who will receive the Early Influence Award. The Musical Excellence Award will go to Linda Creed, Arif Mardin, Jimmy Miller and Rick Rubin, while the Ahmet Ertegun Award will be presented to Ed Sullivan.
The induction will cover both current and former members of the band, including Bruce Dickinson, Steve Harris, Nicko McBrain, Adrian Smith, Dave Murray and Janick Gers, as well as former members Dennis Stratton, Paul Di’Anno, Blaze Bayley and Clive Burr.
