Iron Maiden live in Berlin July 29th and 30th – Run for Your Lives Tour 2025 (Concert Review)
- L7
- Aug 9
- 4 min read
Expectations
These were my final two shows of the tour, and almost the last ones for Iron Maiden themselves, with only Warsaw remaining after Berlin. Having already seen them in Prague, Gelsenkirchen, and Vienna, I decided to go for seated tickets this time, in two very different spots – one in the middle and one high up. The Waldbühne is a special venue, with a beautiful construction and great acoustics. The stage is smaller than in the other cities I visited, which of course also affects the size of the screen. I was curious to see how the stunning animations would work here.
Eddie’s Dive Bar
This time I wanted to really enjoy the special event, taking my time to talk with people, taste the beer, and grab some of the limited merch. Eddie’s Dive Bar was set up at Uber Platz, right in front of Uber Arena, and I visited on two of the three days it was open. They had the standard tour merch plus two exclusive items only available there: a T-shirt and a numbered limited-edition poster. I bought both, and was more than happy with my decision. The shirt was 50 euros – still a lot, but sadly the new standard for big bands – and the poster was only 10 euros, which is a great deal for a quality, numbered piece with the city name printed on it. The Trooper beer still isn’t my favorite, but if it’s ice cold, it’s actually not bad. There was also red wine and giveaways hosted by Star FM. On the last day, the DJ was Thenia, a well-known social media personality.
Arrival, Merch & Beer
From my hotel at Alexanderplatz, it took around 45 minutes to reach Waldbühne via the S-Bahn line 5. On the first day, everything went smoothly, with no major crowds. On the second day, several trains were canceled, and I arrived about an hour later than planned – still in time for Maiden.
The merch selection was similar to other cities, though a lot of items were sold out by then, which is normal near the end of the tour. The Germany tour shirt was completely sold out when I asked, but was later released online on Maiden’s website.
As for drinks, I saw different brands at the kiosks, including Beck’s and San Miguel, but the taste felt like Beck’s to me. Beer cost 7 euros plus a 3-euro cup deposit.
Avatar
I saw Avatar only on the first Berlin night, as on the other dates of the tour I attended. In Berlin, I noticed that many people my age or older weren’t that interested in them, while younger fans on social media were really excited. Like I’ve said before, even though their style isn’t exactly my thing, their show is excellent – full of energy, coordinated moves, and impressive headbanging. Some people commented that the Berlin crowd wasn’t very active during their set, but I think that had more to do with audience demographics than the band itself. They gave it their all and left a strong impression.
Iron Maiden
Since Berlin was my fourth and fifth show of the tour, there wasn’t much I hadn’t seen before. What made it interesting was seeing how the crowd reacted and how the experience felt from my different seating positions. The screen was noticeably smaller here, so while the animations still looked great, they felt less impactful compared to other cities. Part of the “Hallowed Be Thy Name” animation was cut due to the screen size. Still, this didn’t take away from the overall experience – the sound was fantastic, and the crowd went wild for the hits both nights.
After the show, I spoke with two drummers who had very different opinions on the new drummer, Simon. One thought he was off-tempo, while the other said he did a great job, pointing out that timing perception can depend on where you sit and how sound carries in an open-air venue. Personally, I didn’t notice any issues and was just as impressed with him as in the other shows I’d seen.
My favorite songs remain the same: “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” “Powerslave,” and “Killers.” But at Waldbühne, maybe because of my vantage point, I especially enjoyed “Run to the Hills” – watching the entire crowd sing and clap together was something special.
Final Thoughts
Two amazing days that felt more like a small festival than just two concerts. I met plenty of Maiden fans, saw friends enjoying every moment, drank good beer, and enjoyed the grill atmosphere around the venue. It was a perfect personal ending to the tour, and almost the finale for the band as well. Berlin gave me memories I’ll keep for a long time – I hope Maiden comes back soon.
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