Blaze Bayley to Headline at Iron Maiden’s EDDFEST

Iron Maiden Announce Blaze Bayley as Friday Headliner for EDDFEST 2026 at Knebworth

When Steve Harris calls, they show up. And for good reason: Iron Maiden are celebrating their 50th anniversary with a two-day metal soirée in Knebworth.

Joining the celebrations: Blaze Bayley, the five-year Bruce Dickinson substitute. From 1994 to 1999, he stepped into the near-impossible, Dickinson-shaped shoes — and despite plenty of venomous backlash, managed to win over even the most sceptical fans. More or less.

Now, his former bandleader Harris has something historic planned: on night one, Friday, July 10, 2026, Bayley will take over the MAIDENVILLE second stage, revisiting his two Maiden albums The X Factor and Virtual XI with the Eddie faithful.

Bayley is clearly up for it:

I’m so excited to be invited to headline Friday night at EDDFEST, celebrating 50 years of Iron Maiden. I am so proud of my two albums with the band and I’m really looking forward to playing some of the songs that we recorded together. Can’t wait to see you all at the hallowed grounds of Knebworth!

But wait — there’s more. Of course there is, because as we all know, Harris has a certain fondness for going big. The proof lies in his never-ending song lengths — in the best possible way. So, unsurprisingly, the line-up keeps growing.

Joining: his own pre-Maiden band Gypsy’s Kiss, co-founded by singer and guitarist David Smith.

Fifty years carry a fair share of nostalgia — and as the very first band Steve Harris ever played with, Gypsy’s Kiss were an instrumental part of his journey toward forming Iron Maiden just a year later.

Harris adds:

I’m very pleased that Blaze is able to join us and perform some of the songs we wrote and recorded in the 90s. He has been a big part of Iron Maiden’s career and I know the fans will be really excited to see him on stage at EDDFEST. It’s also great to have Gypsy’s Kiss playing with us at Knebworth too. They were a big part of my musical heritage and it’s really exciting to have them play at the Maidenville stage.

And it’s not just about the music. Fans can get closer than ever to infinite dreams with the Infinite Dreams Museum Experience, inspired by the recently released Sunday Times bestseller of the same name.

There will also be themed areas and bars, experiences, live music and more. But don’t get too comfortable just yet: those willing to ditch the luxury of a bed and become one with nature — we’re talking about campers — will get early, exclusive access.

As organisers confirm:

Camping ticket holders for the only UK headline show in 2026 can enter the EddFest site on Friday night, a full day before regular ticket holders, including access to the Infinite Dreams Experience, Eddie’s Ultimate Dive Bar, the Unfair Funfair and, of course, the Friday night entertainment.

For everyone else, don’t worry: that’s just the first 24 hours. Day two kicks off on Saturday at 1pm, with a stacked line-up alongside the hosts. Taking over the main stage: The Darkness, The Hu, Airbourne and The Almighty.

The Eddie party is about to begin — and this time, it comes with a sense of history that’s hard to ignore. So if you’re still missing key festival info, you know where to click.