Iron Maiden at Paris La Défense Arena: Power Outage Disrupts Concert

Everything was in place for this new Iron Maiden concert at Paris La Défense Arena to be exceptional. Unfortunately, fate had other plans. As the British band played their hit “2 Minutes to Midnight,” a total power outage plunged Europe’s largest indoor venue into complete darkness. The audience would have to wait an hour before the concert resumed. We were there, and here’s what happened.

It was the concert set to represent Iron Maiden's epic "Run For Your Lives" tour, celebrating the 50-year career of the band formed by bassist and songwriter Steve Harris. Launched on May 25, 2025, in Budapest, Hungary, the British band's spectacular tour is due to wrap up next November 25 in Japan.

After already performing two concerts at Paris La Défense Arena in July 2025, Iron Maiden had decided to return to the capital and once again take over Europe’s largest indoor venue on Monday, June 22, 2026, for a somewhat special concert. The reason? This one-off date in the capital was being filmed. “We chose an indoor stadium so we could make the most of the production and a fantastic audience, as Paris has always been for us,” the band wrote in a post published on social media on September 18. For the occasion, phones were also banned in the pit.

Fans who had come from all corners of Europe were especially excited at the prospect of attending this one-of-a-kind event. After an opening set by Swedish band Evergrey, Iron Maiden took the stage at 8:50 p.m., as announced. Animated images were projected onto the giant screens, transporting us through the streets of London and then to Paris, with the famous Eiffel Tower. Iron Maiden burst onto the stage at Paris La Défense Arena to the crowd’s euphoric cheers and, as they had last year, chose to open their set with “Murders in the Rue Morgue.” This was followed by “Wrathchild” and the famous “Killers.” The fans erupted with joy as a giant Eddie appeared onstage, axe in hand.

The band, in fine form this Monday evening, follows up with “Phantom of the Opera,” then the thunderous “The Number of the Beast,” enhanced by a few pyrotechnic effects. While the setlist had been identical to last year’s up to this point, Iron Maiden springs a surprise by performing “Infinite Dreams,” also played at Hellfest on June 19.

After winning fans over with the perennial favorite "Powerslave," Iron Maiden launch into their hit "2 Minutes to Midnight." Unfortunately, the band never finishes the song. Less than an hour into the concert, a power outage plunges the venue into complete darkness. Whistles can be heard as fans are left utterly bewildered. After about 10 minutes, the venue’s house lights come back on, but the stage remains in total darkness. No sound, no lights, no video. A voice then announces that the neighborhood is currently experiencing a power outage and that the cause is still unknown. But audience members quickly point to the heatwave and soaring temperatures. While some fans exchange bewildered looks, others take the opportunity to get some water. Still others leave the venue, unsure how long the power outage will last.

In the end, fans have to wait an hour before the concert resumes. But the mood has well and truly cooled. Bruce Dickinson has the unenviable task of telling fans that the concert will end at 11:30 p.m. because the venue is subject to a curfew. And the Iron Maiden frontman seems furious, even making no secret of his preference for the Bercy venue.

But it will take a lot more than that to discourage the Brits. Determined to finish the show, Iron Maiden press on with more classic tracks from their rich back catalogue, such as “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” and the ever-popular “Run to the Hills,” sung along to by a crowd that seems to have rediscovered its fury and its desire to share this moment with Iron Maiden. A bundle of energy, Bruce Dickinson runs from one side of the stage to the other. Meanwhile, Steve Harris points his bass at the crowd, while Janick Gers does a few stretches on the amp and breaks into quick little steps.

Next up are “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son” and then “The Trooper,” which marks Eddie’s return to the stage, this time sporting the famous red tunic of the British Army. At the same time, Bruce Dickinson waves the English flag, followed by the French flag, to cheers from the ever-enthusiastic crowd.

It’s almost 11:30 p.m., the fateful hour, but Iron Maiden presses on with its set with consummate professionalism. Next up is “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” featuring Bruce Dickinson locked in a cage and sentenced to death. In the end, Steve Harris, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Bruce Dickinson, Janick Gers and Simon Dawson decide to close this very special show with the hit “Iron Maiden”—a performance that will undoubtedly go down in the band’s history.

Unfortunately for the British band and its fans, Iron Maiden was unable to play the three-song encore: "Aces High," "Fear of the Dark" and "Wasted Years." Despite this immense frustration and bitter ending, Iron Maiden delivered a highly energetic, polished set, doing justice to several of its many legendary hits. It is also worth noting the patience and generosity of Iron Maiden’s fans, who were particularly fired up this Monday evening at Paris La Défense Arena.

Iron Maiden at Paris La Défense Arena: the setlist for 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 its entirety due to a power cut)
Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Run to the Hills
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
The Trooper
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Iron Maiden