In a recent video message, Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson shared exciting updates about the band’s upcoming tour and reflected on the changes following drummer Nicko McBrain’s decision to step back from touring.
“Hello folks, this is my tour pass for 2024,” Dickinson began, holding up the pass with a smile. “That’ll get me anywhere in 2024, but I don’t need that anymore now because 2025 is going to be something special.”
He teased the ambitious plans for Iron Maiden’s next chapter, explaining, “We are really pushing the boat out with this tour. Not that I need to tell anybody, ’cause the tour is basically sold out already. For those of you who’ve got tickets—which is, like, all of you—it’s going to be really, really cool. We’re doing stuff we’ve never done before, and it’s a setlist for the ages.”
Dickinson also hinted that their touring plans will extend beyond 2025. “It’s not gonna stop in 2025. It’s gonna roll into 2026 because there are parts of the world we need to get to that we can’t reach in 2025. So there you go,” he concluded.
Nicko McBrain, who joined Iron Maiden in 1982, played his final show with the band earlier this month in São Paulo, Brazil. On December 7, McBrain officially announced his retirement from live touring, expressing both sorrow and joy about the decision.
“After much consideration, I have decided to step back from the grind of the extensive touring lifestyle,” McBrain stated via the band’s website and social media. “I’ll remain firmly part of the Iron Maiden family, working on various projects with Rod Smallwood and Andy Taylor, and I’ll be focusing on personal ventures like The British Drum Company, Nicko McBrain’s Drum One, and Rock-N-Roll Ribs.”
Simon Dawson will take over as the band’s live drummer for the upcoming Run For Your Lives tour, which kicks off in May 2025 in Hungary and concludes in Germany in July. Fans can look forward to a groundbreaking setlist and performances that promise to honor Iron Maiden’s legacy while embarking on a bold new era.