Iron Maiden’s longtime manager Rod Smallwood says it is not difficult to get the band members together for tours, despite their individual side projects, he explained speaking on Radio Futuro. Smallwood stressed that the band members love touring and are committed to the road.
Smallwood was asked whether it has become harder to reunite Iron Maiden for tours as singer Bruce Dickinson, founding bassist Steve Harris and guitarist Adrian Smith pursue their own projects outside the band.
Question: “No. They love touring. And I plan touring two — certainly two years ahead, maybe three. And at the end of every tour, I’ll let them know what we’re gonna do next time. And, yeah, Maiden is built for touring. Maiden has always been a great live band, always been close to the fans, always loved playing, playing live.”
“I mean, Steve Harris with his British Lion [side project] — he will [play] a football match, a British Lion gig and a Maiden show in a stadium in a weekend regularly,” Smallwood said. “He just loves playing. He loves looking those fans in the eye. First time I saw them, then the singer was arrested, and it was Steve singing and obviously playing bass, and Dave [Murray, Maiden guitarist], and the original drummer, just those.”
Smallwood pointed out the musical talents within the band and their shared passion for performing live. “And it was clear that Steve’s a phenomenal bass player and Dave’s a complete guitar hero,” he continued. “And from then on, it was always built around touring, and that’s what the band like doing. So no, it’s not hard to get them out on the road at all.”
Smallwood plans tours two to three years in advance and informs band members of future plans at the end of each tour. The comments came as Smallwood addressed questions about whether the members’ various side projects make it harder to bring Iron Maiden back together.
Smallwood’s remarks come as Iron Maiden continues to expand its Run For Your Lives World Tour, which was announced to celebrate the band’s 50th anniversary. The tour began on May 27, 2025 with two nights in Budapest and has included stadium, festival and arena shows across Europe. The band announced a 2026 extension of the tour for Europe in September 2025. The trek marked the first with Iron Maiden’s new drummer, Simon Dawson, who replaced Nicko McBrain after the latter’s retirement from touring at the end of 2024.
Meanwhile, the band members remain active with their outside projects. Bruce Dickinson released his seventh solo album “The Mandrake Project” on March 1, 2024, his first solo album in nearly two decades. Dickinson’s first extensive North American solo tour in almost 30 years, titled “The Mandrake Project Live 2025”, took place across the summer and autumn of 2025, ending with shows in Brazil in September 2025 after 71 performances across three continents.
Steve Harris’s British Lion side project, which includes Richard Taylor on vocals, Grahame Leslie and David Hawkins on guitar, Simon Dawson on drums, and Harris on bass, played six shows at the Cart & Horses pub in Stratford, East London during Christmas 2026. Adrian Smith has also been active with Smith/Kotzen, his collaborative project with The Winery Dogs frontman Richie Kotzen. The duo released their second full-length album “Black Light / White Noise” in April 2025 and began their 2026 European tour in February 2026.
Smallwood’s confidence in the band’s ability to balance touring with side projects reflects the commitment that Maiden members have shown to both their main act and their individual musical endeavors. As the manager noted, the band’s passion for live performance and connection with fans remains central to what keeps Iron Maiden active and touring.
