Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson has said he is not concerned about the difference between playing stadiums with his main band and performing in smaller venues with his solo project. In a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit’s WRIF radio station, Dickinson spoke about his upcoming North American tour in support of his album, The Mandrake Project.
When asked to compare the two experiences, Dickinson said there’s “no comparison” and that he relishes playing in a theater. “I don’t go into a theater going, ‘Oh my God. I wish I was playing a stadium,'” he said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “No, I relish the idea of going into a theater. It’s great. And the same thing—if I go into a stadium, I don’t go, ‘Oh, I wish I was playing a theater.’ No, I’m playing a stadium. That’s what you’re doing and that’s what’s in front of you.”
Dickinson emphasized that his passion for performing remains constant regardless of the crowd size. “I love performing and I love wherever I am, whether it’s three people, 300 or 300,000,” he added. He noted that while the techniques may change, the core of the performance is the same—to connect with the audience.
The “The Mandrake Project Live 2025” tour kicks off on August 22 in Anaheim, California, and will include shows in major cities across North America, as well as festival appearances at Rocklahoma and Louder Than Life. Dickinson’s touring band includes Dave Moreno (drums), Mistheria (keyboards), and Tanya O’Callaghan (bass), along with new guitarists Philip Näslund and Chris Declercq.
Dickinson said the band is a “great crew” that works well together, especially with the help of Maiden‘s own sound, monitor, and lighting engineers. He highlighted the creative flexibility of playing smaller venues, which allows for improvisation and changes to the setlist. “It’s not the same show every night,” he said. “With this band, we’re so flexible, we can go, ‘What’s the setlist today? Well, let’s shift things around a bit. Let’s do that.'”
Bruce Dickinson – North American Tour Dates
AUGUST
- Fri 22nd: House of Blues, Anaheim, CA, USA
- Sat 23rd: House of Blues, Las Vegas, NV, USA
- Mon 25th: Marquee Theatre, Phoenix, AZ, USA
- Tue 26th: Revel, Albuquerque, NM, USA
- Thu 28th: House of Blues, Houston, TX, USA
- Fri 29th: House of Blues, Dallas, TX, USA
- Sun 31st: Rocklahoma, Pryor, OK, USA (Festival)
SEPTEMBER
- Tue 2nd: House of Blues, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Thu 4th: Revolution, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
- Sun 7th: The Town, Sao Paulo, Brazil (Festival)
- Wed 10th: Brooklyn Paramount, Brooklyn, NY, USA
- Thu 11th: House of Blues, Boston, MA, USA
- Sat 13th: Stage AE, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Sun 14th: The Fillmore, Silver Spring, MD, USA
- Tue 16th: HISTORY, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Thu 18th: MTELUS, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Sun 21st: Louder Than Life, Louisville, KY, USA (Festival)
- Tue 23rd: The Fillmore, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Thu 25th: The Fillmore, Detroit, MI, USA
- Sat 27th: Riviera Theatre, Chicago, IL, USA
- Sun 28th: Uptown, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Tue 30th: Summit Music Hall, Denver, CO, USA
OCTOBER
- Fri 3rd: Aftershock, Sacramento, CA, USA (Festival)
- Sun 5th: The Wiltern, Los Angeles, CA, USA
