On Sunday (January 19), the 66-year-old took 13th place out of 31 participants at the Circuit Européen 2025 competition in Fâches-Thumesnil near Lille, France. His opponents included three-time Olympic medalist Pascal Jolyot, also 66, against whom he last competed.
Dickinson spoke exclusively to La Voix du Nord and joked about his last opponent: “He's not bad!”
He also said it was his first time in Lille since rehearsals for an Iron Maiden world tour in 2000. “But now I'm here for a fencing competition – a skilled foil competition for older people like me,” he said (translated from French by CNN).
Dickinson's appearance at the competition was commented on by the mayor of Fâches-Thumesnil, Patrick Proisy. In a Facebook post he wrote: “An international star in Faches-Thumesnil: Bruce Dickinson!!!”
Video of Dickinson's participation in the tournament can be seen below. The competition was ultimately won by the German Hans Martin Raeker.
Dickinson began fencing while in high school at the age of 14 and during Iron Maiden's hiatus following the 1984-85 season World slavery Tour, training with the British Olympic team.
In conversation with The times Last year, the singer said he stopped training with Olympians because he felt silly “fencing 18-year-olds.”
“Now I’ve moved on from foil fencing, which is very fast, to epee fencing, which is more tactical,” he said. “I found a great club in France full of incredible fencers who all kick my ass. It gives me something to strive for – I want to get to the point where only 75 percent of them kick my ass!”
Dickinson is a well-known polymath who has spent his time over the years not only fencing and Iron Maiden, but also spending time as an airplane pilot. He previously flew passenger planes when not on tour and piloted his band's plane Ed Force One. However, in 2023, he announced that he had retired from flying commercial aircraft.
“Like an old dog or an old horse, I have to put it down now,” he said.
Dickinson will tour Europe with Iron Maiden on their first leg in 2025 Run for your life World tour. To celebrate their 50th anniversary, the band will perform material from their first nine albums. See dates below.
Iron Maiden Run For Your Lives 2025 European Tour Dates:
May 27: Budapest Arena, Hungary *
May 28: Budapest Arena, Hungary *
May 31: Prague Letnany Airport, Czech Republic *
June 1st: Bratislava TIPOS Arena, Slovakia *
June 5th: Trondheim Rocks, Norway ≠
June 7th: Stavanger SR-Bank Arena, Norway *
June 9th: Copenhagen Royal Arena, Denmark *
June 12: Stockholm 3Arena, Sweden *
June 13: Stockholm 3Arena, Sweden *
June 16: Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Finland *
June 19th: Dessel Graspop Metal Meeting, Belgium≠
June 21: Birmingham Utilita Arena, UK ^
June 22: Manchester Co-op Live, UK ^
June 25: Dublin Malahide Castle, Ireland *^
June 28: London Stadium, Great Britain *^
June 30: Glasgow OVO Hydro, UK ^
July 3rd: Belfort Eurockéennes, France ≠
July 5th: Madrid Cívitas Metropolitano Stadium, Spain **
July 6th: Lisbon MEO Arena, Portugal **
Jul 09: Zurich Hallenstadion, Switzerland **
July 11th: Gelsenkirchen Veltins Arena, Germany **
July 13: Padova Stadio Euganeo, Italy **
Jul 15: Bremen Bürgerweide, Germany **
Jul 17: Vienna Ernst Happel Stadium, Austria **
July 19: Paris Paris La Défense Arena, France **
July 20: Paris Paris La Défense Arena, France **
July 23rd: Arnhem GelreDome, Netherlands **
July 25: Frankfurt Deutsche Bank Park, Germany **
Jul 26: Stuttgart Cannstatter Wasen, Germany **
Jul 29: Berlin Waldbühne, Germany **
Jul 30: Berlin Waldbühne, Germany **
Aug 2nd: Warsaw PGE Narodowy, Poland **
* = Halestorm support
^=The Raven Age support
** = Avatar support
≠ = festival date