Iron Maiden delivered a landmark performance at a packed Olympic Stadium in Athens on Sunday evening, marking one of the most significant musical events of the year in Greece. The legendary British heavy metal band took to the stage shortly before 21:00, greeted by deafening applause from a crowd of tens of thousands of dedicated supporters.

The concert formed part of the band's highly anticipated Run For Your Lives World Tour 2026, a global trek celebrating 50 years since the group’s formation.

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A day of anticipation

Followers of the band began gathering outside the venue early in the afternoon. The most devoted fans arrived hours ahead of schedule to secure positions at the front of the arena, which organisers had announced as completely sold out days in advance.

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Stadium gates opened at 17:00 to facilitate the smooth entry of the massive crowd. The evening's musical programme commenced at 19:00 with a performance by American thrash metal pioneers Anthrax. The veteran support act delivered a high-energy, one-hour set that successfully primed the audience for the main event.

Half a century of metal

As the stadium lights faded just before 21:00, the headliners initiated their set with the classic track Murders in the Rue Morgue, triggering widespread enthusiasm across both the pitch and the grandstands.

The setlist for the performance was specifically curated to reflect the anniversary theme of the tour. The band focused heavily on material from the definitive early decades of their career, providing the Athens audience with a historic retrospective of their contributions to rock music.

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