IRON MAIDEN’s Bruce Dickinson on Smartphones at Shows: “I Want an Audience That Gives Emotional Feedback, Not a Bunch of Android Twerps”

British heavy metal legends Iron Maiden are taking a firmer stance against smartphones at their live shows, inspired in part by multi-platinum occult rockers Ghost, who implemented phone-free experiences across their 2025 world tour.

Ghost’s approach involved using Yondr pouches during the filming of their 2024 live concert film Rite Here Right Now, which locks away audience phones in select areas. This created a more immersive concert environment, something Iron Maiden noticed firsthand.

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Earlier in 2025, Iron Maiden had already begun appealing to fans to minimize phone use. Manager Rod Smallwood said in May:

“We really want fans to enjoy the shows firsthand, rather than on their small screens… The phone obsession has now got so out of hand that it has become unnecessarily distracting, especially to the band. I hope fans understand this and will be sensible in severely limiting the use of their phone cameras out of respect for the band and their fellow fans.”

For their upcoming live concert film on June 22nd, 2026 at Paris La Défense Arena, Iron Maiden will follow Ghost’s example, providing Yondr pouches for the floor area to create a fully phone-free zone. Smallwood added:

“We will make the huge floor at La Défense completely Yondr phone free so we can ensure the show – and all of you in the crowd – look as phenomenal as possible on camera… So if a so-called fan near you thinks they are special and filming what they selfishly want, please just ask them, very politely of course, to put their phone somewhere the sun doesn’t shine!”

Bruce Dickinson also recently spoke to Appetite For Distortion about his thoughts on smartphones at live shows, referencing a Ghost performance he attended:

“Look, in so many ways, I wish the camera on [smartphones] had never been invented… It’s like some terrible disease that people feel the need to look at the world through this stupid little device… Put it down, put it in your pocket, and look around you. Look at the people, look at the joy, look at the band, feel the emotion, feel the music… I want to perform for an audience of people that have some emotional feedback, not a bunch of Android twerps.”

Dickinson added that the atmosphere at the Ghost show was astonishingly different, with fans more engaged with each other and the performance rather than their screens.

Iron Maiden joins bands like Ghost and Tool in implementing phone restrictions, aiming to enhance the live concert experience for both fans and performers.

The band recently announced a July 11th, 2026 show at Knebworth Park, UK, with opening performances by The Darkness, The HU, Airbourne, and The Almighty. Tickets go on sale September 27th. Smallwood described the event as a “Maiden World” experience, with themed entertainment, live music, and DJs planned to make the show a historic celebration of Iron Maiden’s five-decade career.

Iron Maiden 2026 Live Dates:

05/23 Athens, GRE – Oaka
05/26 Sofia, BUL – Vasil Levski Stadium
05/28 Bucharest, ROM – Arena Nationala
05/30 Bratislava, SLO – Národný Futbalový Štadión
06/02 Hannover, GER – Heinz von Heiden Arena
06/10 Amsterdam, NET – Ziggo Dome
06/17 Milan, ITA – San Siro Stadium
06/22 Paris, FRA – Paris La Défense Arena
06/28 Lyon, FRA – Groupama Stadium
07/07 Lisbon, POR – Estádio da Luz
07/11 Knebworth, UK – Knebworth Park (feat. The Darkness, The HU, Airbourne & The Almighty)

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