• 28 September – winners for MEXICO CITY have been sent
• 30 September – winners for SAN SALVADOR have been sent
• 2 October – winners for SAN JOSE have been sent
• 7 October – winners for BOGOTA have been sent
• 9 October – winners for QUITO have been sent

P.S. FTTB  for the remaining dates of the tour are now up and available to enter

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.

How did you first become a fan of Iron Maiden?
Two older brothers who constantly played Iron Maiden, Metallica and AC/DC – I couldn’t avoid the brainwashing. I got hooked pretty quickly – on both the music and Derek Riggs’ artwork.

Tell us all about the first show you saw Maiden play.
I  was only 15 years old at the time. I saw them in 1992 at Festival Hall in Melbourne. My biggest memory was pushing my way to a couple of metres from the front and being nicely squashed.

How many shows have you seen since then?
Three times since in Melbourne (2008, 2011, 2024). I think I missed the show in 2016 – bad form for me, tut tut!

What do you think makes Maiden so special?
The combination of a belligerent and uncompromising attitude to music, amazing stage shows, iconic artwork, Eddie, and the anchor that is Steve. Also, all the quirks of such as Eddie, Ed Force 1, Bruce’s flying and his other hobbies. Apart from all that, anyone who puts out an album like Live After Death is automatically pretty special.

Anything else to add?
I’ll be seeing them really soon on November 13 in Melbourne. I have The Trooper Early Entry GA ticket and I’m trying for the First To The Barrier as well! I have my Eddie mask ready – along with a breathing tube! (Seriously.)

Peter riding Victoria’s Great Ocean Road – see Letters From The Rue Morgue #129.

How did you first become a fan of Iron Maiden?
I saw Somewhere In Time on tape in a store as a young teenager and bought it for the album artwork. I was sold immediately! I wore out the Live After Death double record. I loved the fold-out concert images in the record album!

Tell us all about the first show you saw them play.
The first show I saw was in January 1991 on the No Prayer on the Road tour at the Philadelphia Spectrum in Pennsylvania.

How many shows have you seen since then?
Countless! My favourite to date was being in the front row of the 666 tour at Merriweather Post Pavillion in Columbia, Maryland. It felt like I finally got to see the Live After Death tour that I didn’t see in 1985!

What do you think makes Maiden so special?
I think Maiden are special because of their unique style and sound. They never cared about being mainstream and stayed true to Steve Harris’s vision. In my opinion, they have the best guitar trio in all the music industry. They have a soulful feel through Dave Murray and a harder, more blistering sound with Adrian Smith. They have an amazing ability to blend styles using unique guitar modes (such as the Phrygian dominant scale in Powerslave). Throw in a third guitarist in Janick Gers and anything is possible! I’ve never seen a stage show that compares!

Anything else to add?
If anyone has a Flight Of Icarus full size poster, look me up! I’d love to have it for my collection! I’ll be at the September 11, 2026 show at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, Virginia! Can’t wait to see everyone again!

How did you first become a fan of Iron Maiden?
Way back in 1986, a friend of mine put the song Powerslave on his stereo and it was a revelation. From that day on, I never stopped listening to Maiden and heavy metal.

Tell us all about the first show you saw them play.
The first show I saw was in Milan on November 18th. 1991. It was the No Prayer on The Road Tour. What a show!

How many shows have you seen since then? 
Since then, I’ve seen 10 more shows — including the band’s first appearance at Milan’s San Siro Stadium and EddFest this year. I’ve been lucky to have won first to the barrier three times in recent years — the best experiences of my life.

What do you think makes Maiden so special?
I think they’re special because history tells us so: if you’re not special, you don’t have a 50-year career. With their music they unite fans from all over the world, breaking down barriers — I’ve always had lots of fun meeting new friends at every show. Furthermore, their music has helped me a lot to overcome the difficult times life throws at you and I think it’s helped many other people too.

Anything else to add?
I can’t wait to hear new music and see them on the road again. UP THE IRONS!

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.