IRON MAIDEN Is 'Built For Touring', Says Longtime Manager ROD SMALLWOOD

In a new interview with Chile's Radio Futuro, IRON MAIDEN's longtime manager Rod Smallwood was asked about the current mood within the band, having just completed the 2026 Latin American leg of MAIDEN's "Run For Your Lives" world tour. Rod responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's great. [They are] loving it. You come and you play to the audiences generally in South America, and some are slightly different, and some are a bit better than others, but it's remarkable. We've done the stadium tour of Europe last year, and we did the festival tour this year, and we've just been to America. And the South American audience — well, it's same as football. Latin people tend to show their emotion louder and stronger than us Europeans. And it's very marked. As soon as you get to Mexico and then further south, then it's just absolutely... I mean, if you don't like playing to that, you might as well give up. I mean, really. And the band are absolutely loving it. But we're playing to thirty, forty, fifty, here [in Chile] sixty-five thousand people every show. And it's just a delight. I mean, if you wanna be a professional musician, it's as good as it gets to me. And I love it. Usually at gigs I'll go on the mixing desk. But the trouble is in stadiums, the mixing desk is enclosed. You got a roof and you got sides because of protection against the weather, but you can't see the crowd. So in South America, particularly here, I tend to go somewhere in the stands or ideally in the boxes and watch from there, 'cause I love watching the crowd. And here — I mean, that's why [we recorded MAIDEN's 2012 live album] 'En Vivo!' here. Just the Chilean crowd, there's a rhythm to them which you don't quite see anywhere else. There's a natural flow of the audience… There's just a sort of rhythm to it, just the flow. And I remember very well the racecourse we played. But that was amazing. I mean, the 50,000 plus there. And that was sort of transitional 'cause, of course, the old venue only held 25,000 people."

Asked if it's becoming increasingly difficult to get the MAIDEN members together for a tour, with singer Bruce Dickinson, founding bassist Steve Harris and guitarist Adrian Smith all pursuing side projects when they are not busy with their main band, Smallwood, who has managed MAIDEN continuously since he first shook hands with Harris in 1979, said: "No. They love touring. And I plan touring two — certainly two years ahead, maybe three. And at the end of every tour, I'll let them know what we're gonna do next time. And, yeah, MAIDEN is built for touring. MAIDEN has always been a great live band, always been close to the fans, always loved playing, playing live. I mean, Steve Harris with his BRITISH LION [side project] — he will [play] a football match, a BRITISH LION gig and a MAIDEN show in a stadium in a weekend regularly. He just loves playing. He loves looking those fans in the eye. First time I saw them, then the singer was arrested, and it was Steve singing and obviously playing bass, and Dave [Murray, MAIDEN guitarist], and the original drummer, just those. And it was clear that Steve's a phenomenal bass player and Dave's a complete guitar hero. And from then on, it was always built around touring, and that's what the band like doing. So no, it's not hard to get them out on the road at all."

MAIDEN has sold over 100 million records, played approximately 2,500 shows across 64 countries, and released 17 studio albums. Five of those have reached No. 1 in the U.K. MAIDEN's most recent LP, 2021's "Senjutsu", reached No. 3 in the United States.

With almost 10 million monthly Spotify listeners, MAIDEN has been one of Britain's most successful touring acts.

The "Run For Your Lives" world tour has been celebrating MAIDEN's 50th anniversary since the band's formation.

Smallwood was awarded an OBE in the June 2026 King's Birthday Honours for services to music and charity, as the founder of Truants Foundation.

Smallwood has managed MAIDEN over the years alongside Phantom Management's Andy Taylor and Dave Shack.

As previously reported, IRON MAIDEN will return to North America in 2027 for a third and final leg of its 50th anniversary "Run For Your Lives" tour. The band will conclude the leg with two festival headline performances at Sonic Temple and Boardwalk Rock.

The surprise run of 16 spring shows follows MAIDEN's recent North American tour, which ended in late September.

Prior to the latest tour announcement, MAIDEN was expected to go on hiatus after wrapping up the 2026 leg of the "Run For Your Lives" tour, which is scheduled to run through the end of November.

MAIDEN said in a press release that "these shows will definitely be the last" on the "Run For Your Lives" tour, which will have included 107 concerts in 36 countries, playing to well over three million fans.

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.