Iron Maiden is embarking on their highly anticipated 2026 North American ‘Run For Your Lives’ tour, with support from fellow metal titans Megadeth and Anthrax, promising a massive metal spectacle across the continent. According to Consequence, the month-long tour celebrates Maiden’s 50th anniversary and will feature a setlist drawn exclusively from the band’s first nine albums, including classics like “Hallowed Be Thy Name” and “The Trooper” that haven’t been played in the US for over two decades.
As Rolling Stone reports, founding bassist Steve Harris stated, “We are greatly looking forward to bringing this ‘Run for Your Lives Tour’ to North America and hope the fans enjoy seeing the show and hearing the set list as much as we do playing it.” The tour represents a significant moment in metal history, bringing together three of the genre’s most influential acts for what promises to be one of the most memorable concert experiences of 2026.
Tour Details and Historic Setlist
The ‘Run For Your Lives’ tour kicks off August 29th in Toronto and runs through September 29th in San Antonio, with the band playing multiple nights in several markets. Per the tour announcement, Anthrax will join on select dates alongside Megadeth, creating what many fans are calling the ultimate metal package tour. The setlist specifically focuses on material from 1980-1988, essentially covering what many consider the band’s classic era that defined the new wave of British heavy metal.
Singer Bruce Dickinson emphasized the historical significance of the material, noting “We’ve got all the big ones from that early period including ‘Hallowed,’ ‘Run to the Hills,’ ‘Trooper,’ ‘Number of the Beast,’ ‘Killers,’ ‘Powerslave,’ ‘2 Minutes’ … and some of them we haven’t played in the US for over 20 years!” This approach makes the tour particularly appealing to longtime fans who have been following the band since their formative years.
Southern California Connection
Southern California metal fans have particular reason to celebrate, as Iron Maiden will play two nights at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on September 25th and 27th, 2026. Both shows will feature the full triple-headliner experience with both Megadeth and Anthrax supporting. The Los Angeles dates come at a perfect time for the local metal community, which has seen a resurgence in classic metal appreciation according to our recent SoCal Metal Scene Ignites coverage.
Adding to the local metal excitement, Megadeth has an additional Southern California appearance scheduled at The GRAMMY Museum on September 24th, making for a massive metal weekend in Los Angeles. The timing coincides with the band’s recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, which we covered in our Rock Hall 2026 reporting, adding extra significance to these performances.
Tickets for all dates are currently available, with the tour representing what may be one of the final large-scale North American tours for these metal legends. For Southern California fans, the late September dates at BMO Stadium offer a rare opportunity to witness metal history in the making with three iconic bands sharing the stage.
Last updated August 31, 2026.
Sources: Consequence, Louder Sound
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