"Fan come first" Iron Maiden will miss Hall of Fame induction

Iron Maiden have been announced as 2026 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but they won’t be attending the ceremony this November.

Their manager, Rod Smallwood, explained in a statement that the decision comes down to scheduling conflicts. Speaking to Billboard, he noted that the band will be touring Australia at the time of the Los Angeles event.

“As many have already noticed, the band will be on tour in Australia around the November date of the induction ceremony,” Smallwood said. “When accepting, Iron Maiden made it clear to the Hall of Fame that fans come first, and the shows will go on.”

While he didn’t completely rule out someone connected to the band appearing at the ceremony, the timing makes it highly unlikely. Iron Maiden are booked to perform on November 13 and 15 in Australia, leaving little room to travel to Los Angeles in between.

Smallwood emphasized that fans in Australasia won’t be affected by the clash. “We want to assure all our fans in Australia and New Zealand that those dates remain unchanged,” he said. “We’re looking forward to bringing the Run For Your Lives Tour to you as part of our 50th anniversary celebrations.”

The sentiment echoes a message the band shared earlier in the week following the announcement. In it, they thanked the Hall of Fame for the recognition while reiterating that their connection with fans has always mattered more than awards—though they acknowledged it’s still an honor to be recognised by the industry.