With their own 747, Eddie, and the energy of many bands easily half their age, Iron Maiden are a touring juggernaut. The sextet are a global phenomenon, as you can tell from the cities where Flight 666 was recorded. And yet, when they announced their tour in support of The Book of Souls, a UK date was conspicuously missing. That’s not the case any more, as it’s been announced that the band will be headlining next year’s Download Festival. The show, which will be at Doningon on Sunday, June 12th, will be the band’s only UK performance of 2016. Bruce Dickinson has particularly fond thoughts of the Download Fest and Donington:
“Download is a very special place for us. Not just because it’s always great to play on home turf but because there’s a truly unique vibe there, it’s the very heart of England and of metal, so a fitting place for Iron Maiden. The crowd is always fiercely passionate and the whole band feeds off that famous Donington energy. We aim to deliver a really memorable show for our fans to close the 2016 Festival. Although this is our sixth time headlining at Castle Donington, it’s the first time we’ve been able to land Ed Force One right on the doorstep of the festival site.”
Dickinson says the set list will consist of music from The Book of Souls, but will also include “a host of classics,” as Metal Hammer says. That’s good news for everyone that had visions of 2006, when the band played the entire A Matter of Life and Death album. You’ll be able to pick up Download tickets on Friday, October 23rd.
