Iron Maiden have called out fans who stole branded merchandise during their Eddfest festival.
The band shared a six-minute behind-the-scenes video from the event, which took place earlier this month at Knebworth Park. They thanked attendees, merch partners, and crew — before singling out those who took Maiden-branded parasols from Eddie’s Dive Bar on opening night.
Iron Maiden’s caption for the video read: “Scream for me, Knebworth! Featuring the Infinite Dreams Experience, the Unfair Funfair, a Friday night Maidenville stage curated by Steve, the best Trooper VIP so far, and more…! Who was lucky enough to be there?”
The band then addressed the theft directly, expressing their disappointment while still celebrating the overall weekend.
“Thank you to everyone* (*except the people who stole all the Dive Bar parasols on Friday night… not cool, guys. Literally), who made it a weekend to remember! To our merch partners for the funfair prizes, to the crew who brought the show to life, and to the fans that make this possible!”
The Dive Bar parasols went missing on the festival’s opening night. No further action by the band regarding the incident has been announced.
The theft took place against the backdrop of one of the most ambitious festival setups the band has ever assembled. The event was designed to immerse fans in the world of Iron Maiden from the moment they arrived.
Eddfest was structured as a two-day camping experience. The festival kicked off on Friday afternoon and ran through Saturday night. Weekend campers had access to Maidenville — an on-site village dedicated entirely to the Iron Maiden experience — throughout both days. This made Friday night the first real opportunity for fans to explore the grounds and its attractions.
The site featured a range of themed installations beyond the main concert stage. Among them were the Infinite Dreams Museum Experience, Eddie’s Dive Bar, the Unfair Funfair, and Eddie’s Emporium. All were set up across the Knebworth Park grounds to give attendees a full festival environment rather than a standard one-night show.
The Friday Maidenville stage was curated personally by bassist and founding member Steve Harris. It hosted a full evening lineup celebrating the band’s legacy. Acts including Blaze Bayley — a former Iron Maiden vocalist — performed across the night. The stage ran from mid-afternoon into the late hours.
Saturday’s main arena opened at 1 p.m. The main stage programme began in the afternoon, with Iron Maiden taking the headline slot at 8 p.m. Support acts included The Almighty, Airbourne, The Hu, and The Darkness. They rounded out a full day of live music before the headliners closed the weekend.
