Iron Maiden performed the first show of their Run For Your Lives on Tuesday night, the 27th, at the Papp László Sportaréna in Budapest, Hungary. This is the first of more than 31 shows in stadiums, festivals and arenas across Europe.

Furthermore, the show marked the British band's first live performance with new drummer
Simon Dawson , who replaced longtime drummer Nicko McBrain  last December.

Run For Your Lives world tour celebrates 50 years since bassist Steve Harris formed
Iron Maiden in 1975. For the celebration, the band promised not only a setlist covering their first nine studio albums, from Iron Maiden (1980) to Fear Of The Dark (1992), but also a more elaborate performance.

According to Setlist.fm , the band played hits such as "The Number of the Beast," "Run to the Hills," "Wasted Years," and "Fear of the Dark"—the latter played for the first time as part of the encore.

They also played songs that hadn't been performed live for some time, such as "Killers," the highlight of the night which hadn't been played since 1999, "Murders in the Rue Morgue," played for the first time since 2005, "Phantom of the Opera" and "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son," which hadn't been played since 2014, and "2 Minutes to Midnight," absent since 2019.

Nicko McBrain has announced his retirement from performing with Iron Maiden.

Drummer Nicko McBrain performed his last show with Iron Maiden in São Paulo, Brazil, on December 7, 2024. Before the show, the artist made an announcement on social media stating that he would be stepping away from touring with the band.

"After much consideration, it is with sadness and also joy that I announce my decision to step away from the extensive touring lifestyle. Today, Saturday, December 7th in São Paulo, will be my last show with Iron Maiden. I wish the band success in their future endeavors," the drummer wrote in a statement published on social media .

However, McBrain clarified that he will continue working with Maiden on "various other projects" as well as a variety of personal projects, focusing on his most recent businesses and ventures.

See the full Budapest setlist:

1. Murders in the Rue Morgue (First time since September 2005)
2. Wrathchild (First time since July 2017)
3. Killers (First time since October 1999)
4. Phantom of the Opera (First time since July 2014)
5. The Number of the Beast
6. The Clairvoyant (First time since October 2013)
7. Powerslave (First time since July 2017)
8. 2 Minutes to Midnight (First time since October 2019)
9. Rime of the Ancient Mariner (First time since April 2009)
10. Run to the Hills
11. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (First time since July 2014)
12. The Trooper
13. Hallowed Be Thy Name
14. Iron Maiden
BIS:
15. Aces High
16. Fear Of The Dark
17. Wasted Years

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Categories: News

Reporter and photographer covering concerts, reviews, articles, hard news, and interviews. Experience covering concerts, major festivals, and events (over a thousand concerts worldwide). Portfolio includes articles and interviews published in Metal Hammer Portugal, Metal Hammer Spain, The Metal Circus (Spain), Metal Injection (USA), Wikimetal, and other Brazilian culture and entertainment websites. Also known as The Girl Who Collected Records - [email protected]