Iron Maiden's 'Run For Your Lives' tour arrived at Dublin's Malahide Castle on Wednesday night [25th June 2025], and saw the band celebrating 50 years in existence and revisiting the tracks that built their reputation. With a new production, and a new drummer, the show revealed a band reborn.
Photo: Darren McLoughlin.
It's difficult to believe that Iron Maiden once played to a modest, but not sold out crowd at Dublin's SFX Hall. The now demolished venue could hold a respectable 1,000 people, and in 1996, on their 'X-Factour', the then five-piece struggled to fill it.
Fast forward to 2025, and it's a very different story. There's a buzz in the air in Dublin city usually reserved for the likes of a U2 homecoming show, and there's more people in the pop-up Eddie's Dive Bar than there were back in '96 at the SFX. More tellingly, it's to a sold out crowd of 20,000 that the band are playing tonight, at a huge outdoor show in the grounds of Malahide Castle in North Dublin.
It's been a road of highs - the near perfect run of albums, and their meteoric rise between 1980 - 1988 - and lows - the departure of, first Adrian Smith in 1990, and then Bruce Dickinson a few years later - to get here, but in 2025, the band truly are bigger than ever, and utterly deserving of the celebration of five decades that is the 'Run For Your Lives' tour.
Band leader Steve Harris set about his grand plan in December 1975, legend has it, and seventeen albums, various band members, and countless tours later, here we all are.
The grounds of Malahide Castle are abuzz as first The Raven Age, and then Halestorm take to the stage. Both bands deliver their goods; the former, groove metal featuring a certain George Harris, the later; modern rock topped off by Lzzy Hale's incredible pipes, but there's only one band on everyone's minds this evening.
As the intro tape rolls, the show begins right back where it started, in the dimly lit streets of 1970's East London. With rendered visuals that recall their street-lit earliest artworks, it takes in some key Maiden history; from the Ruskin Arms, to the Cart & Horses, and even the original Eddie the 'Ead backdrop from their nascent days with Dennis Wilcock fronting. It's a feast of easter eggs for the keener eyed, soundtracked by 'The Ides of March', and it sets up for what's to follow, perfectly.
And then, we're off. As the six-piece hit the stage, a breakneck 'Murders in the Rue' Morgue' gives way to 'Wrathchild' - also on the set back at the SFX - and, for the first time in Ireland, ever, 'Killers'. This song choice showcases the birth of the band, writ large, and whether a tribute to late singer Paul Di'Anno - who passed away in 2024 - or a simple acknowledgement of their roots, it's a killer start.
"You got an extra four bars there for nothing! That's more than you get in a packet of Cadbury's biscuits!", says Dickinson, comically admitting to a musical gaff during the latter; "Iron Maiden are playing to a click track? I think not!"
At only fourteen dates into the tour that will stretch on into 2026, there are bound to be a few teething problems, and there are some timing issues later with guitar solos, but this is a new band adjusting to the first line-up change in twenty-six years. The highest praise this reviewer can give new drummer Simon Dawson is that this far in, musically, it's barely noticeable that someone else is sitting up there. Yet, online, there has been some unwanted chatter comparing him to predecessor Nicko McBrain, which tonight, Bruce tackles head on; "the drum kit has been criticised for being very small", he states, incredulously; "I would ask the people criticising to look at their penises and report back!"
Fast forward to 2025, and it's a very different story. There's a buzz in the air in Dublin city usually reserved for the likes of a U2 homecoming show, and there's more people in the pop-up Eddie's Dive Bar than there were back in '96 at the SFX. More tellingly, it's to a sold out crowd of 20,000 that the band are playing tonight, at a huge outdoor show in the grounds of Malahide Castle in North Dublin.
It's been a road of highs - the near perfect run of albums, and their meteoric rise between 1980 - 1988 - and lows - the departure of, first Adrian Smith in 1990, and then Bruce Dickinson a few years later - to get here, but in 2025, the band truly are bigger than ever, and utterly deserving of the celebration of five decades that is the 'Run For Your Lives' tour.
Band leader Steve Harris set about his grand plan in December 1975, legend has it, and seventeen albums, various band members, and countless tours later, here we all are.
The grounds of Malahide Castle are abuzz as first The Raven Age, and then Halestorm take to the stage. Both bands deliver their goods; the former, groove metal featuring a certain George Harris, the later; modern rock topped off by Lzzy Hale's incredible pipes, but there's only one band on everyone's minds this evening.
As the intro tape rolls, the show begins right back where it started, in the dimly lit streets of 1970's East London. With rendered visuals that recall their street-lit earliest artworks, it takes in some key Maiden history; from the Ruskin Arms, to the Cart & Horses, and even the original Eddie the 'Ead backdrop from their nascent days with Dennis Wilcock fronting. It's a feast of easter eggs for the keener eyed, soundtracked by 'The Ides of March', and it sets up for what's to follow, perfectly.
And then, we're off. As the six-piece hit the stage, a breakneck 'Murders in the Rue' Morgue' gives way to 'Wrathchild' - also on the set back at the SFX - and, for the first time in Ireland, ever, 'Killers'. This song choice showcases the birth of the band, writ large, and whether a tribute to late singer Paul Di'Anno - who passed away in 2024 - or a simple acknowledgement of their roots, it's a killer start.
"You got an extra four bars there for nothing! That's more than you get in a packet of Cadbury's biscuits!", says Dickinson, comically admitting to a musical gaff during the latter; "Iron Maiden are playing to a click track? I think not!"
At only fourteen dates into the tour that will stretch on into 2026, there are bound to be a few teething problems, and there are some timing issues later with guitar solos, but this is a new band adjusting to the first line-up change in twenty-six years. The highest praise this reviewer can give new drummer Simon Dawson is that this far in, musically, it's barely noticeable that someone else is sitting up there. Yet, online, there has been some unwanted chatter comparing him to predecessor Nicko McBrain, which tonight, Bruce tackles head on; "the drum kit has been criticised for being very small", he states, incredulously; "I would ask the people criticising to look at their penises and report back!"
Photo: Darren McLoughlin.
With that out of the way, it's back to business; "It has been fifty years since Steve came up with the idea of Iron Maiden. We're going to be playing all the classics, so strap yourselves in; its going to be a long night!", he promises. And he's not wrong, for what follows is possibly the greatest set list the band have ever played. From 'Phantom of the Opera' to 'The Clairvoyant' to 'Powerslave', it's classic after classic.
The centrepiece of the evening however, is the epic 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner'. "I haven't seen a stall selling seabird and chips", quips Dickinson looking out over the crowd, ahead of the fourteen-minute epic. With the onscreen visuals bringing the musical monster to life, it's simply stunning.
Not far behind in its grandiose scale, 'Seventh Son of a Seventh Son' offers another show stopping moment, not least for Smith and Dave Murray, who trade solos frantically. The big screens and animated Eddies complete the picture, with the stage now a frozen recreation of the album's cover art.
From there it's a run through their most loved material, with 'The Trooper' - complete with Irish Tricolour waving Dickinson - a theatrical 'Hallowed Be Thy Name', and set closing anthem 'Iron Maiden', and as the final bars of the latter come to a close, all Dickinson can muster is; "you are a bunch of mad bastards, the lot of you!"
As one of the greatest concert openers of all time, having 'Aces High' complete with Churchill's Speech as the encore is just showing off, and the band rip through it as on screen, Eddie takes to the skies to roll, turn, and dive along to the rapid-fire riffing.
All that's left is a rapturous 'Fear of the Dark', and emotive 'Wasted Years', to see the Dublin crowd off towards the crammed Malahide DART station.
The 'Run For Your Lives' show is a fantastic celebration of all that made Iron Maiden great in the first place. From the choice of songs to the nods to the past in both Smith and Murray's choice of guitars, nostalgia fuels its every aspect. Whether reliving your own glory days, or seeing the band live for the first time, this is the ultimate Iron Maiden show.
Check out our gallery from the show. All photos by Darren McLoughlin.
The centrepiece of the evening however, is the epic 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner'. "I haven't seen a stall selling seabird and chips", quips Dickinson looking out over the crowd, ahead of the fourteen-minute epic. With the onscreen visuals bringing the musical monster to life, it's simply stunning.
Not far behind in its grandiose scale, 'Seventh Son of a Seventh Son' offers another show stopping moment, not least for Smith and Dave Murray, who trade solos frantically. The big screens and animated Eddies complete the picture, with the stage now a frozen recreation of the album's cover art.
From there it's a run through their most loved material, with 'The Trooper' - complete with Irish Tricolour waving Dickinson - a theatrical 'Hallowed Be Thy Name', and set closing anthem 'Iron Maiden', and as the final bars of the latter come to a close, all Dickinson can muster is; "you are a bunch of mad bastards, the lot of you!"
As one of the greatest concert openers of all time, having 'Aces High' complete with Churchill's Speech as the encore is just showing off, and the band rip through it as on screen, Eddie takes to the skies to roll, turn, and dive along to the rapid-fire riffing.
All that's left is a rapturous 'Fear of the Dark', and emotive 'Wasted Years', to see the Dublin crowd off towards the crammed Malahide DART station.
The 'Run For Your Lives' show is a fantastic celebration of all that made Iron Maiden great in the first place. From the choice of songs to the nods to the past in both Smith and Murray's choice of guitars, nostalgia fuels its every aspect. Whether reliving your own glory days, or seeing the band live for the first time, this is the ultimate Iron Maiden show.
Check out our gallery from the show. All photos by Darren McLoughlin.
