Iron Maiden cap off two-night New Jersey stand with epic performance (recap, photos)

“Scream for me, New Jersey!”

And for the second day in a row, 20,000 New Jerseyians, New Yorkers, and countless others roared in unison with the one and only Bruce Dickenson and Iron Maiden.

It was a Labor Day Weekend for the ages as Maiden hosted 2 nights at Sports Illustrated Stadium near Newark, NJ. With perfect weather and wide open parking lots, tailgaters were out in force early to blast music, grill food, and of course, enjoy plenty of Trooper beers.

But it was inside the Harrison soccer stadium where the true action would lie. Iron Maiden was one with the crowd from opening song “Murders in the Rue Morgue,” quickly followed by “Wrathchild” and “Killers,” and then “Phantom of the Opera” and “Number of the Beast.”

Many rock bands thrive on the charisma of their frontmen, and few more so than Iron Maiden and the operatic superpowers of Bruce Dickenson. Other bands also lean on a flashy lead guitar player, but when you’re headbanging with Iron Maiden, you’re headbanging with the unparalleled triple guitar threat of Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, and Janick Gers. All three axe-slingers shredded their way throughout the show with searing tones, crunchy riffs, and some of the most epic guitar solos of all time.

And yet, with all the 6 string stage presence, none dominated more than the one and only Steve Harris, wielding his bass guitar like a heavy machine gun as he drove forward every song with chest rattling metal power. Alongside him, the famously outspoken Dickinson was in good spirits last night, sparing the crowd any diatribes about cell phone filming and keeping his banter to friendly quips and salutes.

For song after song – “Powerslave,” “2 Minutes To Midnight,” and an absolutely enthralling “Run To The Hills” – Iron Maiden and their fans stomped, shouted, and shook Sport Illustrated Stadium to its very core. “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son” was an unexpected treat for the evening, but almost forgotten when followed by the unbeatable combo of “The Trooper” and “Hallowed Be Thy Name.”

Throughout the night, the music was enhanced by stunning digital visuals up behind the stage. Maiden never seemed to embrace digital technology on prior tours, but in 2026 the band seems to have turned the page. Subtle nods to album art and interactive graphics turned the stage into a 3D ultra-realistic environment, nearly dwarfing the metal giants beneath the massive video screen.

But even with the monstrous visuals, fret-burning guitar gods, one of rock’s greatest frontman and his 4-stringed, long-haired compatriot, the true stars of the evening were the songs themselves. It’s hard to recall the last time an Iron Maiden setlist felt this absolutely perfect and dialed in. Closing the night with “Aces High,” “Fear of the Dark,” and “Wasted Years,” the band gave the crowd every hit we could want, leaving no classic unplayed.

With such an epic Iron Maiden set, one could be forgiven for almost forgetting that the night had opened 3 hours earlier with equally stunning sets from thrash gods Anthrax and Megadeth. With each band only given 50 minutes to play, the bands limited themselves to one new song each and then strictly the favorites. For Anthrax, “Caught In A Mosh” produced the first circle pits of the evening, and closing with “Indians” gave us the best sing-along of the whole night.

Megadeth seemed less interested in egging on the crowd, and instead focused purely on melting faces. “Hanger 18,” “Take No Prisoners,” “Tornado of Souls” and of course perpetual closer “Holy Wars” all paid tribute to the highly technical guitar pyrotechnics pioneered by Maiden, and taken to its natural conclusion by Dave Mustaine & company.

50 year into Iron Maiden’s career, the only thing crazier than the incredible show they can still put on, is the thought that at the rate they’re going, they may be ready to kick our asses for another 50 years.

Check out photos from the evening by Johnny Perilla below, along with the setlist and all remaining U.S. tour dates.

Anthrax:

Setlist:
01. Murders In The Rue Morgue
02. Wrathchild
03. Killers
04. Phantom Of The Opera
05. The Number Of The Beast
06. Infinite Dreams
07. Powerslave
08. 2 Minutes To Midnight
09. Rime Of The Ancient Mariner
10. Run To The Hills
11. Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son
12. The Trooper
13. Hallowed Be Thy Name
14. Iron Maiden
Encore:
15. Aces High
16. Fear Of The Dark
17. Wasted Years

Run For Your Lives North American Tour (remaining dates):
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September 2026
09 Boston, MA – TD Garden *
11 Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live *
12 Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion *
15 Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium *
17 Louisville, KY – Louder Than Life Festival
19 Shakopee, MN – Mystic Lake Amphitheater *
22 Chicago, IL – Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre *
25 Los Angeles, CA – BMO Stadium *^
27 Los Angeles, CA – BMO Stadium *^
29 San Antonio, TX – Alamodome *^
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* Megadeth
^ Anthrax