Blaze Bayley, who fronted Iron Maiden from 1994 to 1999, headlined the Friday night (10 July) Maidenville stage at the band's Eddfest weekend in the UK, part of a celebration of Iron Maiden's 50th anniversary held on the historic Knebworth site. Maiden founder and bassist Steve Harris, who personally curated the stage to showcase various strands of his musical career, watched Bayley's entire set from the sidestage and briefly chatted with the singer afterwards. The occasion is notable as a public reconciliation and celebration of Bayley's often-overlooked era with the band.

Bayley's set drew on "The X Factor" and "Virtual XI", the two albums he recorded with Maiden, some tracks of which he co-wrote with Harris; those records were the band's lowest-charting UK titles since 1981's "Killers". Later this year, Bayley will be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame alongside Maiden's current line-up and several former members, including the late Paul Di'Anno, at a ceremony on 14 November at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, airing on ABC and Disney+ the following month. Maiden had been eligible since 2004 but was only nominated twice before, in 2021 and 2023; Bayley said that while he did not pursue music for awards, the recognition meant a great deal to his fans.