“The fans always come first.” Iron Maiden won’t be attending their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame

Iron Maiden won’t be attending their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. But it’s not a snub to the music industry institution, honest.

This year’s induction ceremony will take place on November 14 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, but on the date in question, the British metal legends will be in Australia as part of their on-going Run For Your Lives world tour.

“As the most observant have already noticed, the band will be on tour in Australia around the November date of the Induction ceremony for the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in Los Angeles,” the band’s manager Rod Smallwood explained in an email to US music industry bible Billboard. “In accepting, Iron Maiden made it very clear to the R&R HoF that the fans always come first and that the shows will of course go on.”

“We would like to assure all our fans in Australasia that the Australian and New Zealand dates will remain unaffected,” Smallwood added, “and we look forward to bringing the Run For Your Lives Tour to them on the penultimate stop of our 50th anniversary celebrations.”

The sextet’s Australian tour will see them play Adelaide Entertainment Centre on November 11, Melbourne’s AAMI Park on November 13, and Sydney’s Allianz Stadium on November 15. Steve Harris’ band also have two shows in New Zealand, at the Spark Arena in Auckland on November 7 and 8.

The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame’s class of 2026 will also include Oasis, Billy Idol, Phil Collins (who was inducted as a member of Genesis in 2010), Wu-Tang Clan, Joy Division/New Order, Sade and Luther Vandross.

Iron Maiden’s frontman Bruce Dickinson, has previously called the Hall Of Fame an “utter, complete load of bollocks”, adding that he believes it’s “run by a bunch of sanctimonious bloody Americans who wouldn’t know rock’n’roll if it hit them in the face.”

“I’ve never been bothered with it,” Steve Harris told Metal Hammer in 2023. “We’ve never done music to be in some Hall Of Fame or whatever. And also, if it was a thing that was voted by fans, that’d be ok, but the way it works, it doesn’t matter how many fans vote, it only counts as one vote. So it doesn’t really represent anything. I don’t know how I’d feel about it if we did actually get [inducted].”

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Fellow Brits Oasis have previously expressed similar disinterest in the Rock Hall, and this week frontman Liam Gallagher offered possibly the most sarcastic ‘thank you’ in modern history to the news that the Manchester band will be inducted.

“Ever since I was a little kid and singing in the shower I’d dream about 1 day being in the RnR hall of fame,” Gallagher posted on X. “It’s true what they say – anything is possible if you have a dream.”