On 17.06, whole of Milan was bouncing, the reason for that, only one of the most famous metal bands Iron Maiden would be playing that night at the cult stadium San Siro.
As I took a stroll through the city in the afternoon, I felt like the concert had already started. Every other person was wearing a band tee and Iron Maiden blasting from bars all around the city. The whole city had this shared buzz, like everyone was there for the same reason. Iron Maiden mania has begun. My experience in Milan was amazing, as always. The food, the people, the weather — everything deserved the highest possible praise. This time, though, the city’s electric atmosphere made the trip even more memorable. Before heading to the concert, we made a quick stop at “Eddie’s Dive Bar”.
Who is Eddie, you might ask? Well, Eddie is the mascot of Iron Maiden, a skeleton that you can see on their every album cover, an inevitable creature on everything connected to the band.
We made our way to the Magazzini Generali, where it was stationed. There were merchandise stands, food stalls serving dishes named by songs, and, of course, pints of Trooper Beer. Brewed in collaboration with the band, it was the perfect pre-show drink — especially when served in its striking Eddie-themed can, which quickly became a souvenir on its own.
We came to San Siro around one and a half hour before the concert and in hindsight, it couldn’t have been better timed. The stadium was already surrounded by a sea of Iron Maiden fans, and the queues continued to grow as showtime approached. While waiting in line to enter, I couldn’t help but admire the San Siro itself. It might be because I am an architecture student, but I found the stadium as fascinating as the event it was hosting. Exposed concrete structure, spiral ramp towers and monumental scale make it not just a symbol of Milan, but one of the most recognizable stadiums in the world. It’s a shame that after a century of unforgettable sporting and musical moments, they are planning to demolish it in the upcoming years.Whether that will ultimately happen remains to be seen, as preserving San Siro has become one of the most widely debated topics in the architectural community.
foto di Nadža Poljo
The American metal band “Trivium” warmed up the crowd and built anticipation for what was yet to come. The excitement reached its peak as the lights dimmed and the opening notes of the song “The Ides of March” echoed through San Siro. A few moments after, Bruce Dickinson came on stage and the stadium erupted. The songs started rolling, more familiar hits were playing, people enjoyed every second of it. Iron Maiden was always something really special to me. Even though today I listen to a lot of music genres, metal was something I grew up listening to thanks to my metalhead mom. “Fear of the dark” has always been one of my personal favorites from the CD we played in the car while driving to the coast for holidays, and hearing it sang by the band alongside thousands of fans who share my enthusiasm for the song created another core memory. The songs were followed by amazing animations (another Iron Maiden trademark) and Eddie making surprise appearances, which helped bring each song’s story to life.
After about 2 hours, the concert ended around 11 PM. As the lights turned on, the crowd slowly made their way towards the exits still whistling the final song. The energy that filled me during the concert, lingered until I fell asleep that night. To me this wasn’t just a concert —it was a memory I will cherish for a lifetime.
foto di Nadža Poljo
