Iron Maiden is coming to Las Vegas

Iron Maiden is making its way back to Las Vegas after the first of the year.

More than three decades ago, before Mandalay Bay was even built on the plot of land where the Hacienda used to sit, long before the legendary metal band became global superstars packing stadiums around the world, Iron Maiden played its first ever show in the United States here in Las Vegas. The date was June 3, 1981, a Wednesday night, Paul Di’Anno was still fronting the outfit, which warmed up the crowd for Judas Priest at the Aladdin.

That was 34 years ago. The Aladdin is long gone, of course, with Planet Hollywood now in its place and Maiden, led by Bruce Dickinson, who joined the band toward the end of that 1981 tour, is now the biggest metal band in the world.

Dickinson and company have announced the itinerary for their upcoming Book of Souls tour, and lucky for local metal fans, Las Vegas is one of the first dates. Tickets for the Sunday, Feb. 28 show at Mandalay Bay Events Center go on sale the end of next week — or if you’re in the fan club, you can get a jump on everybody else earlier in the week.

Read more from Dave Herrera at reviewjournal.com. Contact him at dherrera@reviewjournal.com.