Four decades on, Iron Maiden’s heavy metal blast reached Barcelona’s grand temple, the Olympic Stadium, drawing the biggest crowd in its history for a private Sound show that drew more than 50,000 fans. Metal kept its underground edge, yet the anthem known as Girl rose to the forefront, echoing the band’s enduring legacy as a stadium-standard blockbuster that still appeals to a steadfast male-dominated core—captured by the Legacy of the Monsters World Tour.
Black tees flood the arena floor, and the ritual is clear as the lights dim: you lean in, you hold your breath, and you brace for the moment when the sound crashes in. Steve Harris, not just the band’s bass guitarist but a frontman in spirit, takes center stage to sing many lines solo while backing the new Senjutsu theme that names the last studio effort, featuring eight-minute breaks in rhythm and a chorus that hits hard. Bruce Dickinson surges with confident moves, sword-fights the air with Eddie, the band’s mascot, who is dressed as a samurai. Behind them, a Japanese-style setting evokes Poble Espanyol, with a temple silhouette and two towering pagodas.
greetings to the family
When the tour began in 2018, the show was panoramic in scope, yet the Senjutsu edition added three fresh songs, all bundled together in a bold, forward push. Stratego and Writing on the Wall were in heavy development, and the classic Maiden energy carried the performance as well. An acoustic moment from Adrian Smith and Dickinson adds a playful hello to Catalonia, punctuated by spooky laughter as a celebration. The singer lingers after the show, recounting three chaotic years and greeting the faithful: you are the Virgin family, he seems to say.
The band’s catalogue is far from a mere clip reel from its debut. Iron Maiden navigates through a broad arc, featuring an eighties-era piece like Revelations and the mid-period Blood Brothers, while nodding to the Blaze Bayley era of the 1990s. The mystical Sign of the Cross climbs to the heavens to cloak Dickinson in a dramatic ritual, as a chorus of monks-like harmonies from Smith, Dave Murray, and Janick Gers adds a progressive texture that blends metal with liturgical cadence.
afraid of the dark
The Japanese stage scenery finally gives way to a gothic cathedral vibe, with stained glass framing the arena as the band plunges into Flight of Icarus from the 1983 album Piece of Mind, a highlight that marked the return to epic storytelling. A bird-man silhouette soars as Dickinson performs with blistering energy. The mythic arc grows with Fear of the Dark, a perennial anthem that helped the band push through the grunge era with pomp and spectacle. From there a string of legendary numbers follows, including calls to darker themes that have defined the era of Iron Maiden’s live identity.
Maiden’s set unfolds with a confident montage that never shies away from crowd-pleasers. The anthems hit with precision, and the encores bring familiar power: The Trooper, Run to the Hills, and Aces High make a triumphant return, punctuated by speeches that feel like a tribute to the band’s loyal fans. The night closes with a fireworks finale and a nod to the band’s history, recalling the moment when heavy metal first touched a city that had embraced the early concerts forty years earlier.