“I told him, ‘This is only a small town, we don’t have the infrastructure for an artist like you!’”: Why Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris was turned down after asking to play power metal stars Sabaton’s hometown festival

Steve Harris of Iron Maiden onstage in 2025, and Joakim Brodén of Sabaton onstage in 2024.

Sabaton initially said no when Iron Maiden bassist/founder Steve Harris asked to play at their festival.

Talking in the new issue of Metal Hammer, singer Joakim Brodén and bassist Pär Sundström reveal that Harris, who was arranging dates for his side-project British Lion, had to talk the power metal band into putting him on the bill for Sabaton Open Air in Falun, Sweden in 2017.