Iron Maiden opened their concert with the song Murders in the Rue Morgue at the packed Olympic Stadium in Athens (OAKA), giving the Greek audience one of the most iconic nights of this year’s concert season.
The legendary British band took to the stage, about ten minutes before 9:00pm, amidst a standing ovation from tens of thousands of fans who have flooded the stadium.
Tonight’s concert is part of their highly anticipated anniversary tour Run For Your Lives World Tour 2026, which celebrates 50 years of their historic journey in music.
The turnout of metal music fans had started early in the afternoon. The most loyal fans sought early to secure a front row seat in the arena, which had been announced as sold out days ago.
At 5 p.m., the gates to the stadium opened to allow for a smooth flow of spectators. At 19:00 American band Anthrax took to the stage. The other historic band took on the task of warming up the atmosphere, rousing the crowd with a powerful set that lasted for about an hour. Just before 21:00 the lights went out and Iron Maiden took the stage at the OAKA, sparking waves of excitement in the arena and the stands.
The setlist is tailored to the anniversary nature of the tour, with the band focusing on the early, defining decades of their career.
Lambros Papathanasiou
