Year two of the Run For Your Lives World Tour saw Iron Maiden play the Live Is Live Festival in Antwerp. This marked the band’s 31st performance in Belgium and came one week after their show at the Paris La Défense Arena, where a total power cut in the building brought everything to a sudden stop.
Iron Maiden
Live Is Live Festival, Antwerp – 29 June 2026
Words And Photography: Dennis De Loor
The mission for this evening was clear. Deliver a seventeen-song celebration marking Iron Maiden’s fiftieth anniversary. Every song in the setlist originated from the band’s first nine studio albums, although one notable omission deserves mentioning. Not a single track from No Prayer for the Dying made the cut.
Since last year, Iron Maiden have replaced their traditional stage backdrops with large LED screens, and it must be said that the visuals work exceptionally well without ever becoming overwhelming.
During the concert’s introduction, accompanied by The Ides Of March, the audience was taken on a visual journey through East London, passing Steve Harris’ childhood home, the famous Cart & Horses pub, widely regarded as Iron Maiden’s birthplace, and numerous other references guaranteed to delight devoted Maiden fans.
Unfortunately, the low evening sun made many of these impressive visuals difficult to appreciate.
The opening trio of Murders In The Rue Morgue, Wrathchild and Killers paid tribute to the Paul Di’Anno era. Since his passing in 2024, we will probably never know whether there had once been plans for him to join the band for selected performances during this anniversary tour. One can only imagine what an unforgettable moment that would have been.
One thing that certainly stood out was the remarkable progress made by new drummer Simon Dawson. Whereas Phantom Of The Opera occasionally showed some rough edges last year, the entire performance this time was delivered with razor-sharp precision.
The same, however, cannot be said for Bruce Dickinson’s French. It remains something of a mystery why he insists on addressing the crowd in French, both in France and in Belgium.
Following the crowd-pleaser The Number Of The Beast, it was time for this year’s welcome addition to the setlist. Infinite Dreams is making its return after last being performed in 1988 and replacing The Clairvoyant.
Next came three songs from the legendary Powerslave album, with Rime Of The Ancient Mariner providing both the musical and visual highlight of the evening. The only disappointment was the absence of fireworks during the song’s dramatic finale.
The classics Run To The Hills and The Trooper followed. During the latter, Iron Maiden’s legendary mascot Eddie made his customary appearance, wildly swinging his sabre as the crowd roared with approval.
Considering Bruce Dickinson’s medical history, it remains astonishing how much power and endurance his voice still possesses. His sustained high notes during Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son and Hallowed Be Thy Name were nothing short of remarkable.
The encore consisted of Aces High, Fear of the Dark and the immensely popular Wasted Years, written by Adrian Smith following the exhausting Powerslave tour.
Overall, Iron Maiden delivered exactly what generations of fans have come to expect over the past fifty years. A performance that was consistent, reliable, energetic and utterly uncompromising.
With the tour building towards EDDFEST, Iron Maiden will now finish the forthcoming live film at Knebworth. “You all know what happened in Paris, we all know what happened in Paris,” Steve Harris said, “so we’re gonna finish it off at Knebworth, and we’ll see you there.”
Bruce Dickinson added, “We’re not going to lose what we did in Paris, but we’re going to add to it with some amazing stuff from Knebworth. So Knebworth, be on ya best behaviour.”
EDDFEST will host the Infinite Dreams Museum featuring the iconic pharaoh’s head from the World Slavery Tour, Eddie’s ray-gun from 1986’s Somewhere On Tour, the X-Factor electric chair, tank commander Eddie from the A Matter of Life & Death Tour, Baphomet from Number Of The Beast, the Phantom Of The Opera organ from the Maiden England tour, and personal band mementoes from Paul Di’Anno onwards.
“We’ve raided Eddie’s Archive, Steve’s garden and our very own offices, warehouses and homes to bring you some actual pieces of our history!,” Rod Smallwood said. Full details are at IronMaiden.com.
While Knebworth and EDDFEST are still to come, tonight’s celebrations were very much part of the same golden anniversary story. MetalTalk will have a report from the full Live Is Live Festival shortly, where 40,000 Metalheads had an extraordinary day under a pleasant summer sun.
As for this reviewer, Antwerp was more than just another date on the setlist. I would like to conclude by expressing my gratitude for having been able to fulfil a personal dream, while also paying tribute to the countless fans who patiently spend hours waiting in all kinds of weather for the chance to see their favourite band.
I salute you and UP THE IRONS!
