Why Iron Maiden Don’t Want To Play Glastonbury

Iron Maiden might be semi-regular headliners at metal festivals such as Wacken Open Air in Germany and Download Festival in the UK, but that doesn’t mean you should expect them to play at a more mainstream event like Glastonbury.

Of course, the 2025 edition of the annual Glastonbury festival kicked off on Friday (27 June) and will continue until Sunday (29 June). This year’s festival is headlined by The 1975, Neil Young (performing with his band The Chrome Hearts), and Olivia Rodrigo.

This year’s bill features many other acts from across the globe, including rock acts like Amyl And The Sniffers, Deftones, Biffy Clyro, Alanis Morissette, John Fogerty, Wolf Alice, Weezer, St. Vincent, Nova Twins, Turnstile, Wet Leg, and more. So, while it would be a hell of an experience to be in the audience while Iron Maiden rip through Aces High at Worthy Farm, it’s never going to happen.

Iron Maiden are performing a headline show in London on Saturday (28 June), just 270 kilometres from the excitement of Glastonbury.

When asked how it feels to be performing in the UK on the same weekend as Glastonbury, frontman Bruce Dickinson expressed his disinterest in celebrity culture at major festivals and told The i Paper, “I always said I’d turn Glastonbury down if we were ever invited. I don’t want to go play in front of Gwyneth Paltrow and a perfume-infested yurt [a tent].”

He added, “It’s not just about making money, we want shitloads of people to come and see us. I’m amazed at the prices that some people are prepared to pay to see some legacy acts.”

Iron Maiden recently made news for advising their more screen-obsessed fans to put their phones away on their Run For Your Lives World Tour, with their manager wishing phone-addicted punters “nothing but a very sore arm.”

Iron Maiden’s tour continues through Europe and the UK from June to August, with more tour dates to be announced.

The legendary metal act made their long-awaited return to Australia in September 2024. Reviewing their show at Perth’s RAC Arena, The Music’s Jake Fitzpatrick wrote: “Despite their long career, this is a band that clearly still has it.

“With a setlist spanning their illustrious career, a production that was nothing short of spectacular, and an electrified crowd, the evening was a testament to why Iron Maiden remains one of the greatest bands in rock history.”