Iron Maiden Announce New Drummer After Nicko McBrain’s Final Show

Iron Maiden have announced a successor to recently retired drummer Nicko McBrain: Simon Dawson of Steve Harris‘ other band, British Lion.

The band posted the following statement to social media:

As The Future Past Tour concludes after 81 shows to over 1.4 million fans, from Ljubljana to the Coachella Valley and from Western Australia to Sao Paulo, Iron Maiden are delighted to announce that stepping in behind the kit for 2025 is a name familiar to many of our fans – Simon Dawson, a former session drummer and Steve’s rhythm section partner of the past 12 years with British Lion. A native of Suffolk, England, Simon first teamed up with Steve Harris back in 2012. He debuted on three tracks on the first British Lion album and all of the second critically acclaimed The Burning, plus the many subsequent tours in the U.S., U.K., Europe, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and, most recently, both Mexico and South America.

Iron Maiden will launch the Run For Your Lives Tour on May 27 of next year, starting in Europe.

Nicko McBrain’s Statement on Retirement From Touring

McBrain announced his retirement from touring on the morning of Dec. 7, 2024, his final scheduled performance with the band. “After much consideration, it is with both sorrow and joy, I announce my decision to take a step back from the grind of the extensive touring lifestyle,” he wrote in a statement. “Today, Sat, Dec 7, Sao Paulo will be my final gig with Iron Maiden. I wish the band much success moving forward.”

Prior to the announcement, McBrain had been candid about the challenge of drumming after suffering a stroke in January 2023. He returned to the road four months later but admitted he “[hadn’t] been able to give you lot 100% of my performance.” The drummer said if he encountered a part of a song he couldn’t play, the band would cut it from the set or find workarounds, citing “Caught Somewhere in Time” as an example of the latter.

READ MORE: Iron Maiden Albums Ranked From Worst to Best

Despite his retirement from touring, McBrain vowed to “remain firmly part of the Iron Maiden family working on a variety of projects” and expressed his gratitude for the past four decades. “Touring with Maiden the last 42 years has been an incredible journey,” he said. “To my bandmates, you made it a dream come true and I love you! I look into the future with much excitement and great hope! I’ll be seeing you soon, may God bless you all, and, of course, ‘Up the Irons!'”