Iron Maiden will celebrate their 50th anniversary with stadium and arena shows across Australia in November 2026, joined by Megadeth and armed with a career-spanning early-era setlist.
by Paul Cashmere
Iron Maiden will return to Australia in November 2026 with their 50th anniversary Run For Your Lives World Tour, a celebration of the band’s first nine albums and a full-scale production designed for the largest stages they have ever played in this country.
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The tour marks Maiden’s eighth visit to Australia and will see the band headline outdoor stadiums in Melbourne and Sydney for the first time in their history, alongside arena shows in Adelaide and Brisbane. Since their debut Australian appearance in November 1982 at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre on The Beast On The Road Tour, where they performed to 2,000 fans, the East London pioneers have steadily expanded their footprint here, building a loyal following that has tracked their evolution from cult New Wave Of British Heavy Metal outfit to global institution.
Founded in 1975 by bassist Steve Harris, Iron Maiden have released 17 studio albums, sold more than 100 million records and performed close to 2,500 concerts across 64 countries. Their early run of records, from Iron Maiden and Killers through The Number Of The Beast, Piece Of Mind, Powerslave and Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son, established the template for melodic, narrative-driven heavy metal, combining galloping basslines, dual guitar harmonies and Bruce Dickinson’s operatic range.
The Run For Your Lives shows will focus squarely on that era. Manager Rod Smallwood has confirmed that the setlist will draw exclusively from the first nine albums, featuring staples including Hallowed Be Thy Name, Run To The Hills, Phantom Of The Opera, The Trooper, The Number Of The Beast, Killers, Powerslave and 2 Minutes To Midnight, alongside epics such as Rime Of The Ancient Mariner and Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son. With the Australian dates positioned at the very end of the world tour, several of these songs are expected to be retired from live performance after this run.
Maiden’s 2024 visit for The Future Past Tour demonstrated how dramatically their live presentation has evolved. In our Noise11 review from Melbourne, we noted the scale of the visual production, with Eddie integrated into the narrative of the show through advanced stage mechanics and animation, and Dickinson moving seamlessly between frontman and theatrical protagonist. That tour balanced material from Senjutsu with 1986’s Somewhere In Time, delivering a tightly structured, visually immersive concert.
For 2026, the band promise an even more ambitious staging, tailored to stadium dimensions and built around a state-of-the-art visual system. Smallwood has urged Australian fans to limit mobile phone use during the performances, referencing the atmosphere achieved on recent European dates when audiences largely kept devices in their pockets. The intention is to preserve the communal intensity that has long defined Maiden’s concerts.
Joining Iron Maiden as very special guests are Megadeth, who will be touring Australia as part of what has been described as their final world tour. The pairing brings together two of heavy metal’s most influential bands, with Megadeth recently celebrating a number one album in both Australia and the United States for their self-titled final studio release. Steve Harris noted his long-standing friendship with Megadeth founder Dave Mustaine, describing the collaboration as a fitting addition to the anniversary celebrations.
Promoter Paul Dainty AO characterised the tour as the band’s biggest Australian undertaking to date, citing the step up to AAMI Park in Melbourne and Allianz Stadium in Sydney as a milestone moment. The scale of the venues will allow the production to be presented as intended, with full visual and pyrotechnic components.
Beyond the live arena, 2026 will also see Iron Maiden on cinema screens. Universal Pictures International will release the authorised feature documentary Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition globally in May. Directed by Malcolm Venville and produced by Dominic Freeman, the film traces the band’s five-decade history, incorporating archival material and new interviews with the current line-up, Steve Harris, Bruce Dickinson, Adrian Smith, Dave Murray, Janick Gers and Nicko McBrain, as well as long-time manager Rod Smallwood. The documentary arrives at a moment when the band are both reflecting on their legacy and actively redefining how that legacy is presented.
Following the Australian leg of Run For Your Lives, Iron Maiden will take a break from touring in 2027, closing a chapter that began in East London pubs half a century ago and expanded into one of the most enduring careers in modern music.
Iron Maiden Run For Your Lives Australia 2026
Wednesday 11 November, Adelaide, Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Friday 13 November, Melbourne, AAMI Park
Sunday 15 November, Sydney, Allianz Stadium
Wednesday 18 November, Brisbane, Brisbane Entertainment Centre
General public tickets go on sale Friday 6 March.
For further details visit ironmaiden.com and tegdainty.com.
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