[Photo courtesy of Iron Maiden]

Nicholas Kobe, Staff Writer

Heavy metal legends Iron Maiden have announced their first shows of the 2024 Future Past Tour in Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. The Australian and New Zealand leg feature supporting act Killswitch Engage and will have six shows that will start on September 1 in Perth, Australia, ending on September 16 in Auckland, New Zealand. 

The Japanese leg of the tour features four shows, beginning on September 22nd in Aichi and ending on September 28th in Kanagawa. No supporting act has been announced for this run of the tour. 

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Australia, New Zealand, and Japan have notably never had their dates from the band’s previous Legacy of the Beast Tour rescheduled after their cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Iron Maiden’s last shows in these regions were on the Book of Souls Tour in 2016.

This is the second year of Iron Maiden’s Future Past Tour. The tour is meant to celebrate the release of the band’s 17th LP, 2021’s Senjutsu, and their classic 1986 album Somewhere in Time. The tour was meant to not only play songs the fans know and love, but also to debut songs from the new record. This gives a long overdue love to parts of Somewhere in Time that have been long neglected. Examples of songs Iron Maiden debuted during the 2023 Future Past Tour setlist include “Hell on Earth” “Death of the Celts” and “Alexander the Great (356-323 BC)”

The Future Past Tour kicked off in 2023, where the band performed throughout Europe and Canada. Their final show of the year was their only show of the year in The United States, in Indio, California where they kicked off the Power Trip Festival. Iron Maiden’s website states “Further dates for 2024 will be announced in due course.”

The presale for tickets starts in Australia and New Zealand on October 18th and in Japan on October 20th. General tickets will be on sale on October 24 in Australia and New Zealand at 11 a.m. (local time) and in Japan on December 9th at 10 a.m. (local time).