Iron Maiden's London venues
Iron Maiden's London history runs from East End pubs to the Hammersmith Odeon. The Cart & Horses and Ruskin Arms belong to the band's early club years; Hammersmith appears on the concert recordings that reached a worldwide audience.
Cart & Horses, Stratford
The Cart & Horses hosted some of Maiden's earliest shows. Its own history also follows Steve Harris's earlier bands, Gypsy's Kiss and Smiler, and describes Maiden developing their songs and stage show at the pub. [1]
The venue remains an active music pub at 1 Maryland Point, Stratford, London E15 1PF. Its website lists current events and distinguishes admission to the main bar from tickets for the basement venue. Check the venue's event listings for the date you plan to visit. [2]
Ruskin Arms, Manor Park
The Ruskin Arms became another important setting for Maiden's early audience. The independent Ruskin Arms history project collects memories, photographs and stories of the old pub and its rock community. Its stories page includes recollections of bands and musicians connected to Maiden. [3]
The history project documents the old pub; check current access separately before visiting.
Use the Ruskin Arms concert search to find records in the Live Archive, and the Paul Di'Anno profile for the band's move from clubs to the first albums.
Hammersmith Odeon, now Eventim Apollo
Hammersmith connects the live history to Live After Death. Most of that album came from Long Beach Arena in March 1985, but the final side of the original double album came from Maiden's Hammersmith shows in October 1984. The band's 40th-anniversary release announcement identifies that split. [4]
The venue now operates as Eventim Apollo. Its official website lists current performances and visitor information; its history page follows the name changes from Hammersmith Odeon to Apollo. [5]
The Hammersmith concert search brings together records from the venue across different tours.
Community history and sources
The forum's Definitive Iron Maiden Fan's Guide to London collects a broader set of places and readers' experiences.
- Cart & Horses: Iron Maiden history.
- Cart & Horses: address and events, checked 7 October 2026.
- Ruskin Arms history project: about the archive.
- Iron Maiden: Live After Death 40th-anniversary vinyl.
- Eventim Apollo: venue history, checked 7 October 2026.