Cart and Horses in Stratford welcomes Steve Harris's British Lion for Christmas

Every music city has its sacred sites, and for heavy metal fans the Cart and Horses in Stratford is one of them. The east London pub is where Iron Maiden played its first ever gigs, and this Christmas the band's founder will be back on its stage.

British Lion, the band led by Iron Maiden bassist and founder Steve Harris, has announced six consecutive nights at the Cart and Horses from 13 to 18 December 2026. The band, which also features Richard Taylor on vocals, David Hawkins and Grahame Leslie on guitars and Simon Dawson on drums, played a five night residency at the venue in 2025.

"We're really happy to be coming back to the Cart and Horses for six nights in December," Harris said. Special guests Albion feature current Jethro Tull guitarist Jack Clark and former Tull guitarist Joe Parrish-James, linking two generations of that band's guitar line up.

The pub's story could easily have gone another way. Like many London venues, the Cart and Horses faced the risk of redevelopment as land values rose. But in 2024 Kastro Pergjoni, who has run the pub since 2016, bought a 999 year lease with his business partner, securing its long term future as a live music venue.

"The most important thing is that the venue is not in the hands of someone that doesn't care about live music," Pergjoni told MetalTalk. The pub's management thanked the Music Venue Trust, Iron Maiden FC, the local community, bands and fans for their support.

MetalTalk describes the Cart and Horses as the birthplace and spiritual home of Iron Maiden, and notes that it has outlasted many other rock and metal pubs in east London. It remains a mainstay of the heavy metal scene, with regular gigs alongside food and merchandise for visiting fans.

For locals and visiting Maiden fans alike, there are few better places to raise a glass to the history of British rock, and few better ways to spend a December evening than watching Steve Harris play up close where it all began.

The Cart and Horses is in Stratford, east London. For gig listings, food and tickets, visit cartandhorses.london.