CNN is reporting:

Somewhere in South America right now a head-banger is getting very excited.

The crowd went wild when IRON MAIDEN took to the stage in Colombia earlier this year. They're going back in March, 2009.

Veteran hell-raisers Iron Maiden today announced five new tour dates in Brazil, within months of playing to capacity crowds in some of country's biggest music venues.

Last March, they packed out the 40,000 capacity Palmeiras Stadium in Sao Paulo. Next March, they'll be following in the formidable footsteps of Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton, rock band KISS and the Pope, no less, to wow the crowds at the Autodromo de Interlagos.

The race track is one venue they don't expect to sell out.

"Capacity is about 400,000. I don't think we'll get 400,000," Iron Maiden's manager Rod Smallwood told CNN, "We're set for about 60,000 and we hope to go past that."

The band has every reason to be confident of strong ticket sales in South America where fan loyalty verges on fanaticism. Watch part one of Iron Maiden Revealed

When the band last toured Curitiba in Brazil in March 2008, thousands of ecstatic "Maiden" supporters kept them awake overnight by booming Iron Maiden music outside their hotel.

Across Latin America, they sold 250,000 tickets in less than one week to nine concerts in seven countries. In Colombia, they set a new record for the fastest ticket sales of any event.

Rapid ticket sales are expected this Saturday when seats go on sale for three new concerts in Latin America: Venezuela, Colombia and Chile.

Tickets for concerts in Brazil are due to go on sale next week -- along with seats for four concerts which are still to be announced, in four more countries, two of which will host Iron Maiden for the first time.

"We've always had tremendous success with the fans down there (in Latin America)," said Smallwood.

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