"Unnecessarily distracting": Iron Maiden manager urges fans to limit phone use during shows

Iron Maiden's Run for Your Lives World Tour is now ongoing to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Amid this, the band's manager, Rod Smallwood, has requested the band's fans to put their phones down.

Rod Smallwood took to the band's official Instagram page to share a message before the Iron Maiden 2025 tour kicked off. He asked concertgoers to stay present and limit phone use during Iron Maiden's performance.

He stated that while snapping a quick photo is fine, endless filming is a "distraction" to the band and other fans who might be trying to enjoy the live experience. Rod stated:

"We feel that the passion and involvement of our fans at shows really makes them special, but the phone obsession has now got so out of hand that it has become unnecessarily distracting especially to the band."

Iron Maiden kicked off their 2025 tour with two sold-out nights in Budapest in May. Since then, Smallwood has doubled down on his plea regarding the phones. He wrote in a follow-up post after Iron Maiden's opening shows:

"To the selfish few who had to keep videoing… I wish you nothing but a very sore arm. But they were few, and we hope the support from fans continues in Prague and beyond."

The complete statement from Iron Maiden's manager is as follows:

"Thank you Budapest - A note from Rod. Well, what a way of starting this monumental tour with a couple of sold-out nights In Budapest. It was the perfect place to open this tour - a great venue, an incredible city, in fact, one of my favourites, and you very passionate Hungarian fans."

He went on:

"And of course, not forgetting the travelling fans that came from far and very wide to experience the excitement of the big reveal! To see hundreds of fans and FC members in the aptly-named Heroes Square the day before the first show was fantastic as always. We were delighted to see the reaction and appreciation for the new production that has enabled everyone to experience these iconic songs in a way we have never been able to before. This was quite an operation to achieve but we will let you have more insight into that very soon."

He also added:

"We also want to acknowledge the amazing welcome you gave Simon on his first shows with us. He felt your support from the start — and asks me to thank you all. A huge thank you to every one of you who kept your phones down, respected the band and your fellow fans, and embraced the show the way it's meant to be experienced - in the room with us. That was a great boost for us and the band appreciated it greatly. It is so much better when they can see you unencumbered and that drives them on without that distraction. For the selfish few that didn't and just had to keep videoing... I wish you nothing but a very sore arm!"

The Iron Maiden manager concluded, stating:

"But they were few, and we do hope this support from fans, especially in the floor area in front of the sound desk, continues in Prague tomorrow and beyond. As I said before, by all means take the odd quick pic as a memento of a great night, but otherwise please keep your phone in your pocket. On we go now to the first huge outdoor show and another fantastic sold out crowd waiting for us. We are starting to hit our stride already and it's going to be some ride for these next couple of months. See you there."

Complete list of dates and venues for Iron Maiden's 2025 tour

The confirmed dates and locations of Iron Maiden's 2025 run are as follows:

• Sunday, June 1, 2025 – Bratislava, Slovakia @ TIPOS Arena (*)
• Thursday, June 5, 2025 – Trondheim, Norway @ Trondheim Rocks (≠)
• Saturday, June 7, 2025 – Stavanger, Norway @ SR-Bank Arena (*)
• Monday, June 9, 2025 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Royal Arena (*)
• Thursday, June 12, 2025 – Stockholm, Sweden @ 3Arena (*)
• Friday, June 13, 2025 – Stockholm, Sweden @ 3Arena (*)
• Monday, June 16, 2025 – Helsinki, Finland @ Olympic Stadium (*)
• Thursday, June 19, 2025 – Dessel, Belgium @ Graspop Metal Meeting (≠)
• Saturday, June 21, 2025 – Birmingham, UK @ Utilita Arena (^)
• Sunday, June 22, 2025 – Manchester, UK @ Co-op Live (^)
• Wednesday, June 25, 2025 – Dublin, Ireland @ Malahide Castle (*^)
• Saturday, June 28, 2025 – London, UK @ London Stadium (*^)
• Monday, June 30, 2025 – Glasgow, UK @ OVO Hydro (^)
• Thursday, July 3, 2025 – Belfort, France @ Eurockéennes (≠)
• Saturday, July 5, 2025 – Madrid, Spain @ Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano (**)
• Sunday, July 6, 2025 – Lisbon, Portugal @ MEO Arena (**)
• Wednesday, July 9, 2025 – Zurich, Switzerland @ Hallenstadion (**)
• Friday, July 11, 2025 – Gelsenkirchen, Germany @ Veltins-Arena (**)
• Sunday, July 13, 2025 – Padova, Italy @ Stadio Euganeo (**)
• Tuesday, July 15, 2025 – Bremen, Germany @ Bürgerweide (**)
• Thursday, July 17, 2025 – Vienna, Austria @ Ernst Happel Stadium (**)
• Saturday, July 19, 2025 – Paris, France @ Paris La Défense Arena (**)
• Sunday, July 20, 2025 – Paris, France @ Paris La Défense Arena (**)
• Wednesday, July 23, 2025 – Arnhem, Netherlands @ GelreDome (**)
• Friday, July 25, 2025 – Frankfurt, Germany @ Deutsche Bank Park (**)
• Saturday, July 26, 2025 – Stuttgart, Germany @ Cannstatter Wasen (**)
• Tuesday, July 29, 2025 – Berlin, Germany @ Waldbühne (**)
• Wednesday, July 30, 2025 – Berlin, Germany @ Waldbühne (**)
• Saturday, August 2, 2025 – Warsaw, Poland @ PGE Narodowy (**)

(* - Halestorm support, ^ - The Raven Age support, ≠ - Festival appearance, * - No opener listed)

Iron Maiden's plea to fans is part of a broader trend in the live music scene. Acts like Jack White and Ghost have also taken initiatives for phone-free shows using locking pouches.

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