Iron Maiden is heading back to Hartford. The British metal titans will play The Meadows Music Theatre on May 9, 2027, as part of what the band is calling the third and final North American leg of its Run For Your Lives tour.
The band made the announcement on its website, confirming a 16-show spring run that kicks off April 14 in Tacoma, Washington, and wraps up May 16 at the Boardwalk Rock festival in Ocean City, Maryland, according to Consequence. Hartford's date falls in the latter part of the run, with Bullet for My Valentine and The Raven Age set to open the non-festival shows.
Fans hoping to grab seats should mark their calendars. A fan-club presale begins Monday, October 19 at 10 a.m. local time, with general tickets going on sale Friday, October 23 at 10 a.m. local time, per ironmaiden.com.
A Farewell Lap for Run For Your Lives
The band says these newly added dates will definitely close out the Run For Your Lives tour for good, a statement posted on the group's own site declares. The tour has leaned on Iron Maiden's first nine studio albums, spanning the band's 1980 self-titled debut through 1992's Fear of the Dark, the same stretch of material the group's Run for Your Lives shows have focused on since the trek began, as reported by Ultimate Classic Rock, which first covered the tour's announcement back on September 19, 2024, ahead of its May 2025 launch.
The run has also become something of a career victory lap. The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year, the band's announcement notes. By the time the tour closes, the group will have played 107 shows to well over 3 million fans across 36 countries, that same announcement states. Those numbers build on a decades-long touring legacy; manager Rod Smallwood said the band has sold more than 100 million albums and played nearly 2,500 shows in 64 countries, the outlet reported.
Why Hartford Made the Cut
The 2027 leg almost didn't happen. The band had been planning to take 2027 off from live performances, but decided otherwise after enjoying its recently concluded 2026 North American leg so much, according to Variety. The group wanted to reach markets it had missed, particularly the Northwest and Southeast, the outlet reported, citing the band's own explanation for adding the extra shows.
Hartford isn't explicitly singled out in that geographic push, but the stop gives Connecticut metal fans a shot at tickets without a trip to New York's capital region, where the band currently has no scheduled dates. According to Q105.7, the show lands at The Meadows Music Theatre at 61 Savitt Way, a venue that has served as Hartford's concert home since 1995. Dave Matthews Band has played the venue 46 times over the years, while the Allman Brothers Band performed there 14 times, the station reports.
Iron Maiden formed on Christmas Day 1975, making next spring's shows part of a tour explicitly tied to the band's 50th anniversary. Whether Hartford fans turn out in force for what's billed as the tour's true farewell, one thing is certain: this is shaping up to be a rare chance to see the band's foundational catalog performed live before the Run For Your Lives era closes for good.
