The promoters of Graspop Metal Meeting set to take place on June 17th to 19th 2016 in Dessel, Belgium, have announced that the British heavy metal legends Iron Maiden are confirmed to headline the sixteenth edition, while sharing the stage with previously announced Black Sabbath.
The announcement of Iron Maiden as Graspop Metal Meeting headliners came shortly after they mentioned Black Sabbath, gathering two of the most legendary old-school heavy metal bands in the world, performing live at an event that promises to be of epic proportions.
[blockquote cite=”Graspop Metal Meeting”]It gives us great pleasure to confirm Iron Maiden as our top of the bill to close the Graspop Metal Meeting on Sunday 19 June. Heavy metal legends Iron Maiden will be flying into Dessel on board their 747-400 Jumbo Jet Ed Force One on The Book of Souls World Tour. Tickets go on sale on October 15th. This follows the recent announcement of Black Sabbath as the headliner for the first festival day.[/blockquote]
With over ninety million albums sold worldwide since the band’s inception in 1975, Iron Maiden can rightfully be called a heavy metal titans. In sold-out stadiums and arenas all over the world, millions of aficionados scream genre classics such as ‘The Number Of The Beast’, ‘Fear Of The Dark’ and ‘The Trooper’ at the top of their lungs. Every self-respecting metal fan is aware of the impact this British band has had on the heavy metal scene as a whole and with seven Graspop shows to their credit, Iron Maiden’s popularity in Belgium is beyond dispute. The September release of their brand-new album, ‘The Book of Souls’, which debuted at first place in Belgium and over forty countries around the globe, seemed like the perfect reason to invite them for the eighth time and they were happy to accept.
Frontman Bruce Dickinson will once again navigate the globe on the flight deck, this time aboard an enormous Boeing 747-400 jumbo jet. The new Ed Force One will carry the band, crew, stage production and equipment over 55,000 miles around the world visiting around thirty-five countries.
[blockquote cite=”Bruce Dickinson”]It’s been some time since our last show and we cannot wait to get back out on tour. Iron Maiden thrive on touring and playing to our fans, it’s what we enjoy the most. We look forward to returning to Graspop, we always enjoy playing here. We haven’t decided on the set list as yet and won’t until we start rehearsing, but we really look forward to playing a number of new songs live, especially as the recording of ‘The Book Of Souls’ was so much live. However, as it’s been awhile since we saw you all, I am sure we will include plenty of older fan favorites too. I think the fans will be delighted by what we have in mind. We are also in the middle of creating the new show and rest assured we are working hard to bring you all something spectacular, something with a lot of heart!!! You certainly deserve it for your patience. We very much look forward to seeing you all at Graspop Metal Meeting next year.[/blockquote]
- If Eternity Should Fail
- Speed Of Light
- The Great Unknown
- The Red And The Black
- When The River Runs Deep
- The Book Of Souls
- Death Or Glory
- Shadows Of The Valley
- Tears Of A Clown
- The Man Of Sorrows
- Empire Of The Clouds
Black Sabbath, on the other hand, was previously also announced as the first headliner for the 2016 edition of Graspop Metal Meeting.
[blockquote cite=”Graspop Metal Meeting”]We are very proud to announce that heavy metal legends Black Sabbath will be making their final stand in Belgium on Friday, June 17th, 2016 for an exclusive Benelux show. Graspop Metal Meeting is very honoured to host the founding fathers of heavy metal on their farewell tour. Tickets go on sale on October 15th.[/blockquote]
When Black Sabbath announced their retirement in early 2015, the farewell tour will include dates in North America, Australia and New Zealand. With their appearance at Graspop Metal Meeting now confirmed, the band’s European fans can rest easy: frontman Ozzy Osbourne, Tommy Iommi and Geezer Butler are headlining Graspop Metal Meeting on Friday, June 17th, 2016.
It started nearly five decades ago with a crack of thunder, a distant bell ringing and then that monstrous riff that shook the earth. The heaviest rock sound ever heard! At that moment, heavy metal was born! Since the release of their self-titled 1970 debut, Sabbath has been at the forefront of the heavy metal genre with seminal tracks such as Paranoid, War Pigs and Iron Man to name but a few.
Now The End, the final tour by the greatest metal band of all time, Black Sabbath close the final chapter in the last volume of the incredible story. Black Sabbath’s farewell tour, The End Tour, begins in in Omaha, Nebraska on January 20, 2016, 2016 and it promises to surpass all previous tours with their most mesmerizing production ever. When this tour concludes, it will truly be the end of one of most legendary bands in the heavy metal history…
