According to a new press release, IRON MAIDEN will be playing their first ever stadium show in the UK at the Twickenham Rugby Stadium in London on Saturday, July 5th 2008 as part of their Somewhere Back In Time World Tour 2008. Despite headlining major UK festivals like Reading and Donington many times and selling out stadiums around the World, the band have never before elected to play a stadium in the UK and intend to make this first time a very special occasion. The 50,000 capacity celebrated home of English Rugby will be transformed into a Maiden mecca with fans travelling in from all parts of the country and further afield for this one and only UK show of 2008.

This will be a spectacular return to UK shores for both Iron Maiden and their fans. Maiden have consistently performed headline stadium shows outside the UK and 'Maiden Mania' is currently gripping the world as tickets sales of the 2008 World tour fly out of the box offices in Australia, India, Japan, North and South America and now Europe with many shows selling out within only a few hours.

Steve Harris "It could be a bit of an understatement to say how excited we all are to be playing this show next summer. We've got hell of a tour planned visiting old and new fans all over the world but as always it's great to get home and play here in London especially at such a prestigious stadium as Twickenham. Fans who travel out to Europe for our stadium shows there have for a while been asking us to play one here as the audience in a stadium is much closer to the band than at a big festival and can see so much better. As some people will know I am a big football fan but have heard much about what a great stadium Twickenham is from our rugby mad manager!! So l'm definitely looking forward to savouring that atmosphere We played a couple of nights at Earls Court just before Christmas at the end of our last album tour and you always get such a great feeling playing at home with all your friends and family there. It's going to a fantastic occasion."

A full supporting bill for Twickenham will be announced shortly. Tickets go on sale to the public on November 30th, but members of the Iron Maiden fan club will get special and exclusive first access to purchase tickets on November 28th.

Iron Maiden's Somewhere Back In Time World Tour dates:

February

1 - Mumbai, India - Bandra Kurla Complex
4 - Perth, Australia - Burswood Dome
6 - Melbourne, Australia - Rod Laver Arena
7 - Melbourne, Australia - Rod Laver Arena
9 - Sydney, Australia - Acer Arena
10 - Sydney, Australia - Acer Arena
12 - Brisbane, Australia - Entertainment Centre
15 - Yokohama, Japan - Pacifico Yokohama
16 - Tokyo, Japan - Messe
19 - Los Angeles, CA - The Forum
21 - Guadalajara, Mexico - Auditoria Telmex
22 - Monterrey, Mexico - Monterrey Arena
24 - Mexico City, Mexico - Sports Palace
26 - San Jose, Costa Rica - Saprisa Stadium
28 - Bogota, Columbia - Simon Bolivar Park

March

2 - Sao Paulo, Brazil - Skol Arena Anhembi
5 - Porto Allegre, Brazil - Gigantinho
7 - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Ferrofcarril Oeste Stadium
9 - Santiago, Chile - Pista Atletica
12 - Puerto Rico - San Juan Coliseo
14 - New Jersey, USA - Izod Center (formerly Continental Airlines Arena)
16 - Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre

July

1 - Paris, France - Ominisport De Bercy Arena
5 - London, UK - Twickenham Rugby Stadium
16 - Stockholm, Sweden - Stockholm Stadium
18 - Helsinki, Finland - Helsinki Olympic Stadium
19 - Tampere, Finland - Ratinan Stadion
22 - Trondheim, Norway - Lerkendalstadium
24 - Oslo, Norway - Valle Hovin
26 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Ullevi Stadium
27 - Horsens, Denmark - Horsens Gods Bane Pladsen

August

1st – 3rd - Wachen Open Air Festival - Wacken, Germany