Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain has announced a 17-date European spoken-word tour in support of his upcoming autobiography, Hello Boys and Girls! (Harper Nonfiction, Oct. 22, 2026). The tour runs Oct. 26 through Dec. 3 and covers Germany, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Malta, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
In a statement, McBrain said: “Writing this book brought back so many incredible memories — from my earliest days behind the kit to the biggest stages in the world with Iron Maiden. Now I’m really excited to take those stories on the road and share them live with the fans who’ve been part of this journey. It’s going to be a very special evening — personal, funny, and heartfelt.”
The full schedule is as follows:
- Oct. 26 — Frankfurt, Germany
- Oct. 27 — Cologne, Germany
- Oct. 29 — Berlin, Germany
- Oct. 30 — Munich, Germany
- Nov. 3 — Tilburg, Netherlands
- Nov. 8 — Helsinki, Finland
- Nov. 9 — Oslo, Norway
- Nov. 11 — Stockholm, Sweden
- Nov. 13 — Copenhagen, Denmark
- Nov. 15 — Malta Metal Festival — St. Julian’s, Malta
- Nov. 18 — Dublin, Ireland
- Nov. 23 — Birmingham, U.K.
- Nov. 26 — London, U.K.
- Nov. 28 — Cardiff, U.K.
- Nov. 30 — Bath, U.K.
- Dec. 1 — Manchester, U.K.
- Dec. 3 — Glasgow, U.K.
McBrain announced his retirement from Iron Maiden on Dec. 7, 2024, at the band’s final show of the year at Allianz Parque in São Paulo, Brazil. He was replaced behind the kit by Simon Dawson, who had filled in for McBrain during portions of the “The Future Past” world tour following McBrain’s stroke in August 2023. On Trunk Nation with Eddie Trunk, McBrain addressed the circumstances of his departure: “My health was the primary reason I had to step away. The stroke affected my playing in ways I had to work very hard to manage. And then the laryngeal cancer diagnosis — even though it was caught early — made it clear that my body needed a break that a touring schedule simply can’t accommodate. It was the hardest decision of my life.”
Nicko McBrain — born Michael Henry McBrain on June 5, 1952, in Hackney, London — joined Iron Maiden in December 1982, replacing Clive Burr in time to record Piece of Mind (1983). His tenure with the band spanned more than four decades and placed him among the third-longest-serving members in Maiden’s history. He played on every studio album from Piece of Mind through Senjutsu (2021).
