The Judas Priest singer has handed over jewellery he wore himself and one bracelet he made by hand, with the latter going to whoever gives the most.
Rob Halford has made a bracelet with his own hands. There is one of them, and it is going to a single person.
The Judas Priest singer and bassist Ian Hill are backing a new fundraising campaign run by the Steel Wings Foundation, the Ukrainian nonprofit set up by metal YouTuber Vlad Stadnyk, better known as “Metal Pilgrim“. Halford has contributed a set of personal items to be given away to donors, and the handmade bracelet sits at the top of the list.
The two musicians have also recorded a video message asking the metal community to take part.
What is being given away
- A one-of-a-kind bracelet made personally by Rob Halford, going to the campaign’s single largest donor
- Bracelets worn by Halford
- A cross worn by Halford
- “Faithkeepers” tour picks accompanied by Icons, placed into the packages by Halford himself
The picks come from a tour that is still running. Judas Priest opened the “Faithkeepers” world tour on July 25 at BOBfest in Mönchengladbach, Germany, and the European leg is booked through to September 21 in London.
Entry is tied to the amount given. Every 1 Ukrainian hryvnia donated counts as one chance to win one of the items, so a donation of 100 UAH, roughly $2.25, carries 100 chances, and 1,000 UAH, roughly $22.50, carries 1,000. There is no ceiling.
The handmade bracelet is the exception. It is not part of the draw and is guaranteed to whoever donates the most across the campaign.
Donations are being taken at metalpilgrim.net/donate.
The 2024 campaign
This is the second time Halford and Judas Priest have worked with the foundation. A campaign in 2024 raised 1,000,000 UAH, about $22,500 at the time, and was built around the same idea of trading access to personal memorabilia for donations.
The headline prize on that occasion was a pair of Halford‘s sunglasses, worn during Judas Priest‘s 50 Heavy Metal Years tour, alongside guitar picks accompanied by Icons.
The foundation
The Steel Wings Foundation is a heavy metal nonprofit based in Ukraine and founded by Stadnyk, whose YouTube channel built its following on long-form interviews with musicians before he began using it to raise money and report on conditions in the country. The foundation works on the ground in Ukraine and describes its purpose as bringing the international metal community together to raise funds and support people in need.
Judas Priest, meanwhile, are in the middle of a busy stretch. The band released The Best Of Judas Priest through Sony Music in June, are still touring behind 2024’s Invincible Shield, and Hill has said they intend to record their 20th studio album this year.
Remaining “Faithkeepers” European Tour 2026 Dates:
- Sep 1 – Budapest, Hungary – Budapest Arena
- Sep 3 – Pordenone, Italy – Parco S. Valentino
- Sep 5 – Brescia, Italy – Teatro Clerici
- Sep 7 – Bari, Italy – Fiera del Levante
- Sep 9 – Rome, Italy – Cavea Auditorium Parco della Musica
- Sep 11 – Bern, Switzerland – Festhalle
- Sep 12 – Strasbourg, France – Zenith
- Sep 14 – Lyon, France – LDLC Arena (Décines-Charpieu)
- Sep 15 – Bordeaux, France – Arkéa Arena (Floirac)
- Sep 17 – Paris, France – Arena Zenith
- Sep 18 – Brussels, Belgium – Forest National
