Iron Maiden To Host Phone-Free Pit As Paris Show Will Be Filmed

Iron Maiden told fans to "put your phones away" ahead of their 'Run For Your Lives Tour' beginning last year.

Iron Maiden have striven for phone-free concerts for years, and with filming underway for their forthcoming concert film, they’re enforcing that policy at an upcoming show.

The British heavy metal icons will perform at the La Défense Arena in Paris on Monday, 22 June. Taking to social media on Friday (19 June), the band confirmed that the show will be filmed for their Run For Your Lives Tour film.

So, to make the concert film shine and make for a higher-energy mosh pit, Iron Maiden is enforcing a phone-free standing area. They also shared a step-by-step graphic guide for using Yondr pouches, which includes putting your phone on silent or turning it off, securing it in the pouch, taking the pouch with you, and using your phone in “phone-use areas” inside the arena.

The band captioned the post, “Paris standing area: phone-free space.

“The standing/General Admission area in La Défense Arena will be entirely phone-free to make sure the experience is optimal for the live recording of the Run For Your Lives Tour film.

“Yondr pouches will be provided upon entry to the venue to store your mobile device during the show. Your device will be locked in the pouch on arrival and unlocked when you leave at the end of the night.”

Iron Maiden added that there will be areas within the arena where punters can access their phones in emergencies, and that physical payment cards will be required for bars or merch stands. They also reminded fans that pouches will stay with them, meaning no one else will handle their devices.

You can see the post below.

Iron Maiden return to Australia in November to celebrate 50 years of hits. Due to demand, extra shows have been added to the tour.

At the time of publication, it’s unclear if any of the shows will be filmed for the Run For Your Lives Tour film or if the Australian leg will also feature phone-free areas.

Before the Run For Your Lives Tour kicked off last year, Iron Maiden shared a blog post encouraging fans to put their phones away if they planned to attend the shows.

The band’s longtime manager, Rod Smallwood, said that excessive phone use “diminishes enjoyment” of live shows, “particularly for the band”, as they perform for fans. Smallwood also stated that the “phone obsession” has gotten out of hand and is “unnecessarily distracting” to the band.

He continued, “We would very much like you to be ‘in the moment’ instead and be fully actively involved to enjoy each and every one of these classic songs in the spirit and manner they were first played. This show isn’t just a celebration of our music; it is, as you will see, also about our years of art, of Eddie and of the many, many worlds of Maiden we have created for you.

“So, please respect the band, respect the other fans and have the time of your lives as you join your Maiden family by singing your heart out, rather than getting your phone out!! It’s really not a lot to ask, is it?”