Iron Maiden launched their Run for Your Lives 50th anniversary tour on Tuesday, introducing some major changes to their personnel and stage production.
The tour kickoff at the Papp Laszlo Sportarena in Budapest, Hungary, featured several songs that Maiden hadn’t played live in more than a decade. It also marked the debut of drummer Simon Dawson, who replaced Nicko McBrain after the elder musician announced his retirement from touring last December.
Aside from these developments, though, Iron Maiden made another major change to their live show — less splashy than the arrival of a new bandmate, but a substantial update nonetheless.
The BIg Change to Iron Maiden’s 2025 Stage Production
Iron Maiden have typically adorned their stages with physical backdrops and massive analog props, which they cycle through to usher in new “movements” within their set. (In recent years, this was especially apparent on the Legacy of the Beast tour.) But during their 2025 tour kickoff, the band used digital screens instead of physical backdrops and props.
Fan-shot footage from the Budapest performance shows an enormous screen at the back of the stage displaying a variety of Eddie mascots, thematically appropriate scenery and cover art related to the 17 songs Maiden performed on Tuesday.
The digital approach looked especially powerful during the band’s performance of “Powerslave,” with Bruce Dickinson singing on a riser above the drums as an enormous sphinx Eddie loomed behind him.
READ MORE: Iron Maiden Launch 50th Anniversary Tour: Setlist and Video
Other impressive digital imagery included a ship tossed by tempestuous winds during “Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” an ominous guillotine during “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” an enormous, writhing Eddie struggling to break free of his confines during “Iron Maiden,” and dizzying aeronautical stunts during “Aces High.”
Don’t Worry — There’s Still a Giant Eddie (or Two)
Fans of Iron Maiden’s more vaudevillian stage productions will be pleased to know they didn’t do away with physical props entirely. Dickinson still squared off against a life-sized Eddie during “The Trooper,” and a massive leather-clad version of the band’s famous mascot prowled the stage during “Killers,” which they dusted off for the first time since 1999.
Overall, the Run for Your Lives tour production represents a fairly drastic change for Iron Maiden that will probably turn off some fans who insist everything must be done the old school way. Still, there’s something comforting about the fact that half a century into their career, they’re still trying new things and putting their own twist on it.
Watch Iron Maiden’s Tour Kickoff in Budapest on 5/27/25
Iron Maiden Albums Ranked
See how we ranked all 17 Iron Maiden albums from worst to best.
Gallery Credit: Joe DiVita
