• 24 August – winners for TORONTO (both nights) have been sent

Info:

Winners will be notified around 4-6 days ahead of the show, that gives us some slack to not have to do it at weekends.

Meeting point location info is then sent to winners at lunchtime on the day of the show. This gives you plenty of time to get to where you need to be, and remember – we randomly assign numbers to everyone in the queue so there’s no benefit to turning up early.

First To The Barrier FAQ and everything you need to know can be found HERE. Draws for the next leg will open soon, don’t stress, there’s plenty of time.

How did you first become a fan of Iron Maiden?
I was 12-years-old when my mother gave me the Killers album, I was stunned by the artwork at first.

Tell us all about the first show you saw them play.
The first show was the Virtual XI tour, August the 7th at the Auditorio Coca-Cola in Monterrey, Mexico.

How many shows have you seen since then?
Ten times so far:
7 August 1998 — Virtual XI World Tour, Monterrey, Mexico.
22 February 2008 — Somewhere Back In Time World Tour, Monterrey, Mexico.
25 February 2009 — Somewhere Back In Time World Tour, Monterrey, Mexico.
17 March 2011 — The Final Frontier World Tour, Monterrey, Mexico.
15 September 2013 — Maiden England World Tour, Mexico City.
4 March 2016 — The Book Of Souls World Tour, Monterrey, Mexico.
27 September 2019 — Legacy Of The Beast World Tour, Mexico City.
7 September 2022 — Legacy Of The Beast World Tour, Mexico City.
20 November 2024 — The Future Past World Tour, Mexico City.
11 July 2026 — Run For Your Lives World Tour EddFest, Knebworth, UK.

What do you think makes Maiden so special?
Their powerful storytelling, iconic melodies, electrifying live performances, and deep connection with their fans. Their music combines history, literature, and emotion with an unmistakable heavy metal sound. After decades on stage, their passion and energy remain stronger than ever, making every concert an unforgettable experience.

Anything else to add?
Iron Maiden are also special because they have always stayed true to their identity. Eddie, their legendary mascot, the epic stage productions, Steve Harris’s unmistakable bass lines, Bruce Dickinson’s powerful voice and the band’s galloping rhythms create a world that goes far beyond the music. Their songs inspire fans to explore history, literature, and human nature, while their concerts unite generations from all over the world. Iron Maiden are more than a band – they’re a lifelong passion and a global family.

You might remember longtime Maiden fan Scott Snell as the photographer who kindly provided us with the previously unpublished photos of Maiden live in 1981 on the Killers tour in New Jersey and New York that we published in issue 120 of the IMFC magazine. Last month Scott travelled across the pond from the US for a distinctly Maiden-themed holiday — taking in EddFest along the way. Here’s his very own tour diary!

Day 1
After flying in early rom the States, I picked up my rental car and headed off to Stevenage. I wondered why the Alamo rental folks made a big deal about tyre scuffing and wheel damage and I found out rather quickly! Your roundabouts are challenging and local roads are tight. Parking is also rather suspect! No early hotel check-in, so I parked the rental and headed to the train station. A very nice ride into King’s Cross and I was was soon riding the underground to Selfridges department store to pick up a few things my daughter requested. Back on the underground, I headed to the Cart & Horses for dinner. And enjoyable dinner, Troopers and a Hungarian Maiden cover band. I ended up back in Stevenage around 01:30.

Day 2
Back to London for tourist time! By now, I was a master of the underground thanks to Google Maps and was off to Victoria for Buckingham Palace to see the Changing of the Guard. Holy shit, there were a lot of people! Found a decent spot and enjoyed the pomp and circumstance. My dad collected Britains Ltd. toy soldiers, which I still have, and the Coldstream Guards were part of that collection. It was really neat to see them in person. I toured The Mews and had fish and chips for lunch. Then it was off to St. Dunstan in the East church. The church was bombed by the Germans during the Blitz and the ruins survive as a memorial garden. Quite moving, but hidden amongst development. Next stop on the underground was Westminster Abbey and Big Ben. A quick train ride back to Stevenage and time to hang out with other Maiden fans in the lobby. The aircon in the hotel rooms was broken, but the lobby was cool!

Day 3
EDDFEST! Things didn’t start out too well with a ridiculously priced Uber drive from the hotel. Finally, I arrived and picked up my VIP wristband and packet. Time for a Trooper! Oh wait, time for some Rum of the Ancient Mariner! Now we’re cooking! I would have liked to purchase a bottle of the rum, but couldn’t see myself carrying it around all day. (Wish I did.) Then it was time to walk around and check things out and almost time for the group Fan Club pic. As I said before, great meeting you! Would have loved to talk more about Maiden stuff — hopefully another day. I was very glad to have the VIP package as I don’t do well in the heat. I walked around a bit, then headed back for a shady seat in one of the barns. Met some great people from Norway, Ireland, Scotland, Turkey and plenty of locals! Everyone was very cool and helpful with taking pics. I’m not a big selfie guy! Oh yeah, thanks for the tip of viewing The Infinite Dreams display after dark, it was much better with no crowd after the show. I enjoyed talking with the folks from the tank museum who brought along the Centurion. Very cool display! I also enjoyed the art exhibit in one of the barns. Great stuff indeed! I regretted not picking up one of the 50th lino prints — by the time I decided to get one, they were sold out. Had some lunch, then wandered down to the Dive Bar and just soaked it all in. At this point, I knew I wasn’t going to get anywhere near a close view of the stage, so I did some more walking around, went back to the barn, and won my stuffed Cyborg Eddie (waaayyy cool!) and picked a distant spot to view the screens. the sound was great. I was just thanking my lucky stars to be experiencing the event and soaking in the band I first saw 45 years ago. Yeah, I wiped a tear here and there. It was over all too soon and time for the long walk back to the hotel. This was the second worst part of the day! The lobby was filled with Maiden fans, again, watching the Norway-England game. We (Norway), got ripped off! Sorry — had to vent!

Day 4
A sleep-in and breakfast with a lot of black t-shirts! Sunday was a travel day, heading south to set myself up for a visit to The Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset. I stayed in Wareham and completely fell in love with this awesome little village. I stayed at an inn built in 1550!

Day 5
A Matter of Life And Death Monday at Bovington! I’m a big WWII enthusiast, particularly armour and the museum exceeded my expectations. The WWI trench exhibit was a favourite. I was there from opening to closing. I had some dinner and headed off to the ruins of Corfe Castle. Put the drone up for some awesome views.

Day 6
Aces High Tuesday! Got up early in Wareham and had a VERY long drive to the Imperial War Museum in Duxford. I arrived around 10:30am and stayed until closing at 6pm. Another amazing museum with the added bonus of Spitfires and Hawker Hurricanes flying about all day! I met someone at EddFest who told me about a certain missile I should look out for. I found out! After another long day, it was off to the Cross Keys Hotel in Saffron Walden. Another amazing medieval market town. I spoke to some folks at dinner and again mentioned Maiden at Knebworth. They asked if I knew who Dennis Stratton was, noting that he lived in town and frequented the pub around the corner! Maiden are everywhere!

How did you first become a fan of Iron Maiden?
In 1988 a schoolmate gave me a tape with Somewhere In Time and Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son on it. Since that day, I’ve never stopped listening to Maiden — especially Live After Death which I consider the best live album in the history of our planet! I also remember in the late 80s how much fun it was going to London to search for singles and special vinyls that were impossible to find in Italy.

How did you first become a fan of Iron Maiden?
My cousin was dating Dave Lights (Maiden’s lighting engineer) and I got to see them at The Ruskin Arms in 1980.

Tell us all about the first show you saw them play.
I had just got home from school. Dave Lights was at our house and asked if I wanted to see Maiden. I said HELL YEAH! I ran upstairs, chucked on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. My mum made me change into back into my school uniform with the tie. The tie went into my pocket has soon as I got out of the house. I sat at the back of the pub with my coat zipped up, holding a Coke. I felt overdressed but absolutely loved the show and I’ve been a fan ever since.

How many shows have you seen since then?
Approximately 20 shows — and I’ve seen the band at Donington on a few occasions. Or should I say, I was at Donington when Maiden were… but I was a little worse for wear.

What do you think makes Maiden so special?
For me, when I met them at my aunt’s house — just after they signed their record deal. They were normal lads just like the rest of us and that has never changed really. They still reach new generations — like my son who saw them for the first time in 2010 and has seen them ever since. And a family friends’ son, who is now 15 and loves them.

Anything else to add?
I was so glad that they did their 50th at London Stadium — coming home to where it started. I’m looking forward to seeing them on their next tour — and many more after.

How did you first become a fan of Iron Maiden?
I was only 13-years-old child when I heard Fear Of The Dark on a TV show in Romania just after the album was released in 1992. It was amazing.

Tell us all about the first show you saw them play.
The first live concert was 4th August 2008 in Bucharest on the Somewhere Back in Time World Tour. A great, great show, first time with Bruce in Romania!

How many shows have you seen since then?

Since then, I’ve been to six other concerts. So seven shows in total:
• 24th July 2013 — The Maiden England World Tour in Bucharest.
• 30th July 2016 — The Book of Souls World Tour in Bucharest.
• 26th May 2022 — Legacy of the Beast World Tour in Bucharest.
• 22nd July 2022 — Legacy of the Beast World Tour in Goteborg.
• 20th July 2025 — Run For Your Lives World Tour in Paris.
• 28th May 2026 — Run For Your Lives World Tour in Bucharest.

What do you think makes Maiden so special?
The music, the band that is paying with the same members for a very long time, the band members that are good examples for all the people.

Anything else to add?
I hope to see them at least one world tour again in order to introduce my daughter to this amazing band.

Troopers, it’s been a weekend alright.

If you’re anything like me and you were at Eddfest this weekend then you’ll know that it was a very, very special time for Maiden fans — from the Infinite Dreams experience to the triumph of Blaze on the Friday and everything leading up to the riveting main event, I can’t even begin to recount how many reasons I had to smile that weekend. One of the biggest? It was meeting so many of you and hearing your stories.

The next Eddie-tion of the FC mag will feature a top-to-bottom roundup of the story of Eddfest, and I’d love to include you in it to. Please sling me your favourite photo from the fest and put EDDFEST SCRAPBOOK in in the subject line, and write me a sentence about what you loved about the fest. Don’t forget to give me your name and where you’re from while you’re at it! I’m at screamforme@ironmaiden.com 

Great to see everyone who could make it to the family photo meetup, too. Big thanks to John McMurtrie for snapping such a great bunch of pics, too. What a weekend, what a band, and what fantastic fans.

UP THE IRONS!

Alex
Eddietor

How did you first become a fan of Iron Maiden?
My older cousin had just bought the Rock In Rio DVD and he was showing me clips to highlight how amazing he thought their three guitar harmonies were. I was intrigued. Later that year, I saw that Maiden were playing the local arena so I went to check them out. It was the biggest rush of euphoria I’ve ever had — I was hooked from that first show.

Tell us all about the first show you saw them play.
I saw them at the Long Beach Arena in August of 2003. I went out of curiosity, and the show turned me into an instant die-hard fan. It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced, I just loved the music and the energy so much.

How many shows have you seen since then?
I’ve seen them 52 times so far.

What do you think makes Maiden so special?
For me it’s the guitar solos, the vocal melodies, the bass lines, the drumming — it all fits so perfectly together to make music that really ignites my soul. I also love how Maiden are on the road so frequently. Other bands go many years without touring, but with Maiden there’s always an upcoming tour and another chance to see them live.

Anything else to add?
I’m a high school teacher, so in between classes during the passing period, I play Iron Maiden on my speakers to get me through the day. This has led to a handful of students over the years asking about them, checking them out, and them becoming fans as well.

Trace your way back 20 years to 2006 – a time when much had shifted, not just within Iron Maiden, but across the wider metal landscape. After a fallow period, the genre had rebounded from its 90s slump, and both metal and Maiden had evolved significantly in the early years of the new millennium.

With Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith returning in 1999, a new chapter began – first with 2000’s Brave New World, followed by 2003’s Dance Of Death. The six-piece line-up was firmly established and, as the press release of the time of Dickinson and Smith’s rejoining boldly declared, Iron Maiden were firing on all six cylinders.

The preceding 2005 Eddie Rips Up the World tour offered a chance to look back, indulging long-time fans with a retrospective set rooted in their early years, but with that nostalgia firmly in the rear-view mirror, Maiden were ready to push forward and reaffirm their relevance.

Decamping to Sarm West studios in London, A Matter Of Life And Death would prove one of their most collaborative efforts yet, featuring contributions from not just the four primary songwriters – Steve Harris, Dickinson, Smith and Janick Gers – but in lead single The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg a rare Dave Murray co-write.

Writing and recording would take just two months – record timing by the band’s standards. “It was all very instinctive. It all happened very naturally and very quickly”, gushed Bruce; “it was relatively effortless; like putting your foot down when you’ve got a big engine in the car!”

Released on 28 August 2006, the 10-track, 72-minute album arrived with striking artwork depicting a zombie army led into battle by Eddie in full military command. From the outset, it was clear this would be a darker, heavier record.

Opening track Different World, penned by Smith and Harris, offered a deceptively upbeat introduction before giving way to the album’s weightier themes. War in particular, looms large throughout, particularly on These Colours Don’t Run and the epic Brighter Than A Thousand Suns, the latter showcasing one of Dickinson’s most commanding vocal performances. It also underlined the band’s willingness to experiment, incorporating an unusual 7/8 time signature.

The Pilgrim drives forward with Nicko McBrain’s relentless rhythm and sharp melodic hooks, while The Longest Day builds patiently before unfolding into a powerful, unconventional chorus. Throughout, the three-guitar attack of Smith, Gers, and Murray is both cohesive and expansive, with each player contributing distinct textures and standout moments, with Murray’s subtle fills on the introspective verses of  Out Of The Shadows being a prime example.

Closing with the towering The Legacy, the album doesn’t simply end; it reaches a grand crescendo, with its final moments carrying a weight and sense of reflection that reinforce the record’s thematic depth and musical ambition.

Commercially, AMOLAD marked another high point for Iron Maiden, securing a UK top five position and becoming the band’s first to break into the Billboard 200 top ten in the USA. Critical reception was equally strong, with Classic Rock naming it their album of the year. “It’s strange to say this about a band more than 25 years old,” they wrote, “but on A Matter Of Life And Death, Maiden have come of age,” hailing it as one of their finest works.

In the years since, its reputation has only grown, and in 2022, Dom Lawson, in Louder, ranked it the fifth greatest Iron Maiden album, describing it as “the heaviest, darkest and most thrillingly cohesive” of their career.

A Matter Of Life And Death stands as a bold statement from a band unwilling to coast on past glories, instead choosing to confront weighty themes with ambition and intensity. As if to hammer home the point, they would play the entire colossus in full during the following tour – the first, and only time in the band’s history that they’ve attempted such a feat.

An album that not only captured a moment in time, but continues to echo with lasting power, proving that even decades into their career, Iron Maiden remained fearless, forward-looking, and utterly uncompromising.

Over the past year — during Iron Maiden’s 50th, appropriately enough — it’s grown into a truly special part of the forum that’s testament to Maiden fans’ camaraderie and their ability to break down borders and barriers in order to connect with each other.

“Maiden fans from around the world have exchanged postcards, shared stories, and built friendships through the mail,” Lili tells us. “It’s been amazing to see participants from different countries and backgrounds come together through a shared love of the band.”

The thread has generated countless postcard exchanges, photos, and memorable moments. And it continues to encourage new fans. “The enthusiasm, generosity, and creativity of everyone involved has made it one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had as a member of the fan club,” says Lili.

Wanting to highlight the fans who’ve helped make the thread such a success, Lili sent in the below images. “Their willingness to connect, share a little piece of their hometowns, and spread the Maiden spirit around the world has been truly inspiring,” she says.

We salute Lili for her international endeavour — you can join her Postcards From Around The World thread on the forum right here.