IRON MAIDEN Fans Slam 50th Anniversary Tour: 'Most Predictable Setlist Possible'

Summary

• Iron Maiden kicked off the Run for Your Lives tour with a highly predictable setlist.
• Fans slammed the lack of surprises, despite earlier hints of rare deep cuts.
• Several classics like Fear of the Dark and The Trooper stayed while tracks like Alexander the Great were dropped.

Iron Maiden launched their Run for Your Lives 50th anniversary tour on May 27 in Budapest, Hungary. Grab Your Tickets Here.

The show introduced Simon Dawson behind the drums, stepping in after Nicko McBrain retired in late 2024. Despite the lineup change, many fans left underwhelmed, and for one familiar reason: the setlist.

Same Old Songs

With months of hype leading up to the tour, some hoped Maiden would dig deeper into their catalog. Manager Rod Smallwood had even teased the possibility:

“We’ll be focusing on classics and fan favorites from the first nine albums, from ‘Iron Maiden’ [1980] to ‘Fear of the Dark’ [1992], many of which we haven’t played for years and many we likely won’t ever play again in the future.”

The Budapest set pulled from almost every album in that era, except No Prayer for the Dying (1990), which got skipped entirely. Fans still heard the usual suspects: Fear of the Dark, Hallowed Be Thy Name, Aces High, 2 Minutes to Midnight, Iron Maiden, Run to the Hills, and The Trooper.

A few semi-surprises appeared, including Murders in the Rue Morgue, Killers, and Rime of the Ancient Mariner, the latter returning after more than 15 years in hiding. Still, many saw the choices as safe, familiar, and frankly, lazy.

Social Media Blowback

Disappointed reactions spread quickly online. One commenter summed up the mood bluntly: “Well, yeah. Iron Maiden put together the most predictable setlist possible for this tour. Nothing new, not even one surprise.”

The fan continued, acknowledging the few deeper cuts that did make it in: “I’ll admit it was nice to see ‘Murders in the Rue Morgue,’ ‘Killers,’ and ‘Seventh Son of a Seventh Son’ return. But no ‘Sun and Steel,’ no ‘Only the Good Die Young,’ and no ‘Judas Be My Guide.’ And they completely ignored ‘No Prayer for the Dying.’”

Many pointed back to the 2023 tour, when Maiden performed Alexander the Great live for the first time. That moment raised hopes the band might finally start rotating in more rare tracks. Instead, fans feel like Maiden hit the brakes again.

Frustration Builds

Others chimed in with their own wish lists. One post argued for a serious shake-up: “It’s tough to please people who want deeper cuts. These are all great songs, but seriously, wouldn’t it be amazing to hear ‘Afraid to Shoot Strangers’ for the first time in over 30 years instead of ‘Fear of the Dark,’ which never seems to leave the set?”

The repetition of certain songs, particularly Fear of the Dark, has become a lightning rod for criticism. While no one disputes its popularity, many argue that after decades of tours, Maiden could afford to let it rest.

Harsh Words

The complaints didn’t stop there. In the comment section of one Facebook post about the tour, fans were even more direct: “Once again, Maiden blows the chance to deliver an epic show. Sorry, I’m a huge Maiden fan, but this is a poor excuse for a refreshed setlist.”

Another frustrated fan wrote: “I was really hoping to see some different stuff… ‘Prodigal Son,’ ‘To Tame a Land,’ ‘The Duellists,’ ‘Tailgunner,’ ‘Judas Be My Guide.’ I’m skipping the 2026 show.”

And one more dug in on the core frustration: “They dropped ‘Alexander the Great.’ And here comes the endlessly recycled ‘IRON MAIDEN.’ Nothing new for a supposedly special anniversary tour.”

Pattern Repeats

Iron Maiden has long favored consistency over experimentation with their setlists. For some, that’s comforting. For others, it’s exhaustion. As one fan summed it up perfectly: “Plenty of promises. Zero actual surprises. Started off promising, ended in disappointment.”

Here’s The Full Setlist From The Show

• Doctor Doctor (UFO song, played from tape)
• The Ides of March (played from tape)
• Murders in the Rue Morgue
• Wrathchild
• Killers
• Phantom of the Opera
• The Number of the Beast
• The Clairvoyant
• Powerslave
• 2 Minutes to Midnight
• Rime of the Ancient Mariner
• Run to the Hills
• Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
• The Trooper
• Hallowed Be Thy Name
• Iron Maiden

Encore:

• Churchill’s Speech (played from tape)
• Aces High
• Fear of the Dark
• Wasted Years
• Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (Monty Python song, played from tape)

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