ADRIAN SMITH On IRON MAIDEN's 50th Anniversary: 'It's Incredible. It's Gone So Quickly, Really'

In a new interview with Argentina's Rock & Pop 95.9 radio station, IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith spoke about the band's 50th-anniversary "Run For Your Lives" world tour, which kicked off in Europe in 2025 and will continue in 2026 with a North American leg. Speaking about the fact that MAIDEN is now officially five decades old, Adrian said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's incredible, isn't it? 50 years. I joined the band when I was 24 years old, and it just seems like a few months ago. It's incredible. It's gone so quickly, really. But we've done such a lot. It's been an incredible journey, incredible journey. And I think with this anniversary tour, we're just trying to — we start off with some old songs from the 'Killers' album, and it's wonderful to go back and revisit those songs 'cause they're good songs, I think. And they fit in — they sound fresh today, and they're great fun to play. And I think the audience likes to hear it, as well as we'll be playing some newer stuff. But, of course, it's quite emotional. 50 years — I mean, incredible, isn't it? They say that when you're having fun, time goes quicker, doesn't it? Yeah. it seems quick, but when you look back to all the tours and all the shows and the albums, it's a long time. And like I say, it's an incredible journey."

In celebration of its 50th anniversary, IRON MAIDEN will perform at stadiums and major amphitheaters across the United States and Canada, allowing fans the chance to witness the brand new, state-of-the-art production, on the scale it is intended for — huge stages in outdoor venues, to accompany the once-in-a-lifetime setlist of songs from the band's groundbreaking first nine albums. The trek opens at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, and includes performances at TD Garden in Boston, Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre just outside of Chicago, Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, and more before concluding September 29 in San Antonio, Texas. Joining MAIDEN on tour are thrash metal pioneers MEGADETH and ANTHRAX, depending on the date.

These upcoming tour dates will mark 45 years since IRON MAIDEN first visited Canada and the USA on the 1981 "Killer" world tour, and feature some of the biggest shows the band has ever played there. The return to BMO Stadium in Los Angeles will be the 25th and 26th time the band has played in the City of Angels.

The first European leg of "Run For Your Lives" took place this past summer. A second European leg will run from May through July 2026.

For MAIDEN's European tour in 2025, the band requested that fans "severely limit their use of phones at our concerts, ideally just keeping it in their pockets the whole time, especially in those standing areas in front of the stage."

Smith was born in Hackney, East London, on February 27, 1957. He joined IRON MAIDEN at the end of 1980. Adrian is the bandmember who has collaborated on the most side projects outside of IRON MAIDEN, as well as writing and recording a series of albums in the early '90s, before rejoining the band. IRON MAIDEN has sold 100 million albums, and tours the world playing to millions of fans. Onstage, Adrian uses Jackson and Gibson guitars. Offstage, he is an avid tennis player. However, his main hobby is fishing.

IRON MAIDEN is among the artists who will be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame this year. The ceremony will take place on November 14 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. It will air on ABC and Disney+ the following month.

IRON MAIDEN will be in the middle of an Australian tour on November 14, with dates booked for November 13 in Melbourne and November 15 in Sydney.