Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris hasn’t closed the door on the idea of the band staging a massive, star-studded farewell concert on the scale of Black Sabbath’s celebrated Back To The Beginning event — but he’s not committed to it either. When asked in a recent Metal Hammer interview whether Iron Maiden might one day deliver a similar blockbuster retirement show, Harris acknowledged that many fans have suggested it, but stopped short of promising anything specific.
“We don’t tend to look back,” Harris explained, referring to Iron Maiden’s focus on future plans rather than nostalgia. He pointed to the band’s recent 50th-anniversary book Infinite Dreams as one of the few moments they’ve reflected on their history, but emphasized that the group is more interested in what comes next. “It sounds like some people would like that to happen, but I don’t know. We’ll see,” he added, leaving the possibility open without committing to a final plan.
The question about a marquee farewell show comes in the wake of Back To The Beginning, Black Sabbath’s one-off charity concert on July 5, 2025, which featured Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward reunited onstage, along with a lineup of major rock and metal acts including Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Tool and Anthrax. While financial details varied in reports, the event drew broad acclaim and set a new standard for how a major band might cap its career with a celebratory spectacle.
Iron Maiden are currently between legs of their ongoing 50th-anniversary Run For Your Lives tour, which will take them through Europe in the spring and summer of 2026 before returning to the UK for a headline show at Knebworth House on July 11. The band will then head to North and Central America later in 2026. During this downtime, Harris is also performing with his hard-rock side project British Lion, hitting club dates across the UK, where early Iron Maiden shows were once played.
While Harris remains noncommittal about a massive farewell event, his remarks reflect Iron Maiden’s ongoing balance between honoring their legacy and focusing on live performances, touring, and creative energy. As the band continues into its sixth decade, fans remain eager to see what kind of final chapter — if any — awaits one of heavy metal’s most enduring acts.
