Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson has said the band is preparing a few surprises behind the scenes. He made the comments in a recent interview on Radioacktiva, where he discussed his recording and touring plans for the next two years. These include plans for Iron Maiden and for his solo band.
Dickinson first spoke about his upcoming solo album and how highly he rates it.
“The new solo album, frankly, is up there with the best stuff that I’ve ever done,” Dickinson said. “I mean, it’s a whole level above [2024’s] ‘The Mandrake Project’, and it’s absolutely amazing. You have to wait till next year to hear it, although there will be something out very soon, a first track. And the videos, we shot five videos for it now. The whole thing fits together as a story. So, it’s really exciting, that world.”
He then explained how the solo project fits with Iron Maiden and hinted at upcoming plans for the band.
“As to how it fits with Iron Maiden, it fits very easily because everybody in the band — Steve [Harris, Maiden bassist] loves the new [solo] material that I’ve done,” he continued. “So, we have a few surprises up our sleeve with Iron Maiden, which I can’t tell you about.”
Dickinson also addressed his touring plans and the timing of future announcements.
“But, obviously, I’ll be touring next year with my solo record,” he said. “I’ll be promoting it. But all of that we’ll get around to telling people when the time is right. And that time will be quite soon. But people will be, I think, pretty excited.”
Further details about the solo album and the Iron Maiden plans have not yet been announced.
Dickinson’s comments come while Iron Maiden is still deep in its 50th-anniversary touring cycle. The band’s current schedule shows how much activity remains before any new announcements.
The Run For Your Lives World Tour celebrates the band’s 50th anniversary and its first nine albums. The North American leg began on August 29 in Toronto. It ended on Tuesday at the Alamodome in San Antonio, where more than 40,000 fans attended the final U.S. show.
Dickinson has spoken warmly about the shows and the older songs in the set. “This whole tour has been such great fun… We’ve got all the big ones from that early period… and some of them we haven’t played in the US for over 20 years!!”
The tour continues well beyond North America. Dates in Central and South America are scheduled for October 2026. The run then moves to Australia in November, including a show at Allianz Stadium in Sydney on November 15.
The current lineup features Dickinson, bassist Steve Harris, and guitarists Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Janick Gers. Simon Dawson, Harris’ bandmate in British Lion, has handled drums on tour since longtime drummer Nicko McBrain retired from live performances in December 2024. Iron Maiden are also 2026 inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
