Iron Maiden at Paris La Défense Arena: a power outage disrupts the concert

Everything seemed set for what should have been an exceptional Iron Maiden concert at Paris La Défense Arena. Unfortunately, fate had other ideas. As the British band played their hit "2 Minutes to Midnight," a total power outage plunged Europe’s largest indoor venue into complete darkness. An hour would pass before the show could resume. We were there, and here’s the story.

This was the concert billed as Iron Maiden’s epic Run For Your Lives tour, a celebration of the band’s 50-year career led by bassist and songwriter Steve Harris. Kicking off on May 25, 2025 in Budapest, Hungary, the British group’s sweeping run is due to wrap up on November 25 in Japan.

After already having played two shows in Paris La Défense Arena in July 2025, Iron Maiden has decided to return to the capital and once again claim Europe’s largest indoor venue for a special concert on Monday, June 22, 2026. And for good reason, this single date in the capital was set to be filmed. “We chose an indoor stadium to enjoy the best of the production and a fantastic crowd, as Paris has always been for us,” the band wrote in a post on social media on September 18. For the occasion, phones in the pit were banned.

Fans from across Europe were particularly thrilled at the prospect of witnessing this one-off event. After an opening set by the Swedish group Evergrey, at 8:50 p.m. the Iron Maiden show kicks off, as announced. Animated images roll across the giant screens, transporting us from the streets of London to Paris, with the iconic Eiffel Tower. Iron Maiden storms onto the stage at Paris La Défense Arena amid the crowd’s ecstatic cheers and, as last year, opens the set with Murders in the Rue Morgue. Wrathchild and the famous Killers follow. The fans then erupt with joy as a giant Eddie strides onto the stage, an axe in hand.

The band, in top form this Monday night, presses on with “Phantom of the Opera,” then the thunderous “The Number of the Beast,” elevated by a few pyrotechnic effects. While the setlist had so far been identical to last year’s, Iron Maiden throws a curveball by delivering “Infinite Dreams,” also played at Hellfest on June 19.

After winning over fans with the irreplaceable Powerslave, Iron Maiden launches into their hit 2 Minutes to Midnight. Unfortunately, the band never gets to finish the track. Less than an hour after the show kicked off, a total power outage throws the venue into complete darkness. Whistles rise as fans stare in total disbelief. After roughly ten minutes, the venue’s service lights flicker back on, but the stage remains shrouded in darkness. No sound, no light, no video. A voice then announces that a citywide outage is currently affecting the neighborhood and the cause remains unknown for now. Some spectators quickly point to the heatwave and the scorching temperatures. While some fans exchange astonished glances, others use the moment to hydrate. Others still leave the arena, unsure how long the outage will last.

We’ll have to wait another hour before the concert gets going again. But the crowd’s energy has clearly ebbed. On his side, Bruce Dickinson has the unenviable task of telling fans that the show will end at 11:30 p.m. due to the venue’s curfew. And the Iron Maiden frontman appears fired up, even going so far as to plainly voice his preference for the Bercy venue.

But it will take a lot more to deter the Brits. Determined to close out the show, Iron Maiden pushes on with other flagship tracks from their rich catalogue such as “Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” then the indispensable “Run to the Hills,” which the crowd belts out in unison, seeming to have clawed back their fury and their desire to share this moment in spirit with Iron Maiden. A true live wire, Bruce Dickinson darts all over the stage. Meanwhile, Steve Harris isn’t shy about jolting the audience with his bass, and Janick Gers lingers at the amp, doing a few stretches before kicking into a series of quick steps.

Then comes 'Seventh Son of a Seventh Son', followed by 'The Trooper', signaling Eddie's return to the stage, this time in the iconic red tunic of the British army. At the same moment, Bruce Dickinson raises the English flag, then the French flag, as the audience erupts in cheers, still as enthusiastic as ever.

It's almost 11:30 p.m.—the fateful hour—but Iron Maiden presses on with utmost professionalism. Now comes the moment for « Hallowed Be Thy Name », where Bruce Dickinson is shown imprisoned in a cage and condemned to death. It is finally with the hit "Iron Maiden" that Steve Harris, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Bruce Dickinson, Janick Gers and Simon Dawson decide to close this very special show, which will undoubtedly go down in the band's history.

Unfortunately for the British outfit and their fans, Iron Maiden couldn’t play the three encore tracks, namely "Aces High", "Fear of the Dark", and "Wasted Years". Despite this immense disappointment and a rather sour ending, Iron Maiden delivered a high‑octane, impeccably crafted set that did justice to many of their legendary staples. We should also note the patience and generosity of the Iron Maiden faithful, who were especially fired up this Monday night at Paris La Défense Arena.

Iron Maiden in Paris at La Défense Arena, the setlist from the June 22, 2026 concert:

Murders in the Rue Morgue
Wrathchild
Killers
Phantom of the Opera
The Number of the Beast
Infinite Dreams
Powerslave
2 Minutes to Midnight (not played in full due to a power outage)
Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Run to the Hills
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
The Trooper
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Iron Maiden

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