The Book of Souls World Tour

Iron Maiden's intention to tour in support of The Book of Souls was confirmed with the album's announcement on 18 June 2015.[2] The band's touring plans had to be delayed until 2016 to allow vocalist Bruce Dickinson to recover following treatment for a cancerous tumour found on his tongue.[3][4] The tour was officially announced with a press release on 25 August, which included a general outline of the band's itinerary with specific dates to be confirmed.[1] Starting in February, the band visited 36 countries throughout North and South America, Japan, China, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, before finishing in Europe in August.[5] The band's dates in China, El Salvador and Lithuania marked their debut visits to those countries,[6] while their South African shows were their first with Dickinson as vocalist (having previously toured there in 1995).[1]

The first dates to be confirmed were the band's shows in New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, announced 14 September 2015.[7][8] On 1 October, the group released their US itinerary, which highlighted their Fort Lauderdale performance as the tour's opening concert,[9] with an additional night in Los Angeles added on 13 October.[10] This was followed by their Central and South American dates on 5 and 6 October,[11] which included the announcement of their first ever performance in El Salvador,[12] their Canadian performances on 8 October[13] and an additional show in Mexico City on 26 October.[14] On 12 January 2016, the band announced their debut performances in China in Beijing and Shanghai,[15] followed by the confirmation of their return to Japan, after an eight-year absence, with two nights in Tokyo.[16] The band's debut in El Salvador was reportedly the largest event in the history of the country, with an attendance of 25,000, and the group received a special thanks from the Ministry of Tourism.[17][18]

The band began announcing their European shows from 7 October 2015, with their Netherlands date the first to be revealed,[19] followed by Ullevi, Sweden on 19 October,[20] Oslo, Norway and Herning, Denmark on 21 October,[21][22] Berlin, Germany on 23 October,[23] Wrocław, Poland on 26 October.[24] Kaunas, their debut appearance in Lithuania, and Hämeenlinna, Finland on 2 November,[6][25] Moscow, Russia on 3 November,[26] Prague, Czech Republic on 11 November,[27] Italy on 30 November,[28] Madrid, Spain on 9 December,[29] Luxembourg on 22 January 2016,[30] Slovakia on 10 February,[31] Croatia on 12 February[32] and Seville, Spain on 15 February.[33] The band will play several festivals throughout their European tour, including Graspop Metal Meeting in Belgium,[10] Rock im Revier, Rockavaria and Wacken Open Air in Germany,[34] the Download Festival in Paris, France and Donington, UK,[35] Rock in Vienna, Austria,[36] Sonisphere presents Allment Rockt in Lucerne, Switzerland,[37] VOLT Festival in Sopron, Hungary,[38] Rock in Roma Sonisphere in Italy,[28] Resurrection Fest and Rock Fest in Spain,[39][40] Rock the City in Bucharest, Romania[41] and Paléo Festival in Nyon, Switzerland.[42]

The band departing Fort Lauderdale in their chartered Air Atlanta Icelandic Boeing 747-400, their transport for the majority of the tour.

As with their 2008, 2009 and 2011 tours, the band travelled on their own aircraft, nicknamed "Ed Force One" after the band's mascot, Eddie, although this time using a Boeing 747-400 jumbo jet, provided by Air Atlanta Icelandic, rather than the smaller Boeing 757s which they had previously used.[5] According to Dickinson, a qualified pilot who captained the aeroplane, the larger 747-400 meant that the band were able to travel at faster speeds and for longer periods and were able to carry their equipment without the plane having to undertake extensive modifications, as they had to do with the 757s.[43] Ed Force One carried the band, their crew and over 12 tons of equipment for all of their shows up to and including their concert in Gothenburg, Sweden on 17 June.[44][45] On 12 March, the plane was involved in a collision with a tow truck on the ground at Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport in Santiago, Chile, while being towed for refuelling, injuring two ground tug operators as well as damaging the aircraft's undercarriage and two of its engines.[46] The band made contingency plans to ensure that their schedule was unaffected as the repairs were carried out,[47] which Dickinson stated would take two weeks.[48] On 21 March, the band reported that the repairs had been completed and that Ed Force One would rejoin the group for the remainder of the tour.[49]

In September 2016, the band announced that the tour would continue with European shows in 2017, encompassing Belgium, Germany, the UK and Ireland.[50][51][52] In January 2017, the band added a series of North American performances, taking place in June and July 2017.[53] On 17 February, an additional night in New York was added, confirmed as the final concert of the tour. By the tour's conclusion, the band performed 117 shows in 36 countries.[54]

Festival performances

^A This concert was a part of "Rock im Revier"

^B This concert was a part of "Rockavaria"

^C This concert was a part of "Sonisphere presents Allmend Rockt"

^D This concert was a part of "Rock in Vienna"

^E This concert was a part of "Download Festival"

^F This concert was a part of "Graspop Metal Meeting"

^G This concert was a part of "VOLT Festival"

^H This concert was a part of "Resurrection Fest"

^I This concert was a part of "Rock Fest"

^J This concert was a part of "Paléo Festival"

^K This concert was a part of "Rock in Roma Sonisphere"

^L This concert was a part of "Rock the City"

^M This concert was a part of "Wacken Open Air"

Speaking about the setlist prior to the tour, guitarist Janick Gers stated that the band will play "six or seven" tracks from The Book of Souls and "pepper it with older songs so everybody gets to enjoy the gig." Gers also suggested that "Hallowed Be Thy Name" (from The Number of the Beast, 1982) would return to the show, following its absence during the Maiden England World Tour 2012–14, and that "The Trooper" (from Piece of Mind, 1983) would also be performed.[80] In an additional interview, Bruce Dickinson revealed that either "Run to the Hills" or The Number of the Beast" (both concert staples from The Number of the Beast) would be excluded.[81]

Iron Maiden performing in Nyon, Switzerland, 20 July 2016

Tying in with the album's title and theme, the stage set was decorated in a manner which mimics Maya architecture.[86] The band's mascot, Eddie, in his Mayan guise from The Book of Souls album cover, appeared at two points during the show: as a walking puppet during "The Book of Souls" and as an inflatable head during "Iron Maiden".[86][87] In addition, an inflatable goat/devil appeared during "The Number of the Beast".[87]

(Credits taken from the official tour programme.)[101][102]

Crew

• Official Iron Maiden website
• The Book of Souls World Tour dates (2016)
• The Book of Souls World Tour dates (2017)