Iron Maiden bid farewell to their long-time drummer Nicko McBrain in his final show.
On December 7, Nicko McBrain announced his decision to retire from extensive touring after 42 years. In a statement shared on Iron Maiden’s official X account, McBrain confirmed that his final performance with the band would take place that night in São Paulo, Brazil.
In a new video shared on Iron Maiden’s Instagram, Dickinson addressed the crowd about the drummer’s retirement. “Tonight is a very special night, as some of you, I think probably all of you, will know, because this morning we announced, Nicko announced that he was stepping back for playing live drums with Iron Maiden. For 42 years Nicko’s been in this band. He was a drummer before I was a singer, he was a pilot before I was a pilot, and now he’s not leaving the band, but he’s just not playing live with us anymore.”
He finished his words with, “So, we have a lot more music to get to tonight, and I want the rest of the night to be a celebration of Nick, a celebration of the joy that he’s brought to everybody around the world, not just here in Brazil,” Dickinson added. “All right? And with that, on we go!”
The drummer announced his retirement in a statement, saying he made his decision ‘after much consideration’ but would still remain a part of the Iron Maiden family. The rocker thanked his fans, family, friends, and fans.
The band recently announced their new drummer, Simon Dawson. He will join Iron Maiden for their 2025 Run For Your Lives tour, starting in Budapest, Hungary on May 27.
