Who’s Singing the National Anthem at Steelers Home Season Opener? All About Legendary Rockstar Bruce Dickinson

Steelers Nation, fire up your Terrible Towels — and maybe dust off those leather jackets — because Pittsburgh’s 2025 home opener is serving up a little extra bite. Let’s just say…we’re in for some Aaron Rodgers‘ darts, TJ Watt‘s hits, and the national anthem a little louder than you’re used to. Yes, Bruce Dickinson will be taking the mic for the Steelers’ home opener.

They’re not calling in your usual local choir or country singers this time around. Nope. It’s going to be Iron Maiden’s legendary frontman. And he made that little reveal himself on the Charismatic Vox podcast. “I’ll let you into a secret. So, I’m gonna sing the national anthem in Pittsburgh for the Pittsburgh Steelers,” he said.

But don’t picture Dickinson ripping into the anthem with full Iron Maiden theatrics; he made that clear. This one’s going to be a cappella. “I’m gonna do a cappella and stuff, but as long as you start at the right place, you’re good to go,” he said.

Yeah, no guitars, no drum kits, no double-kick pedals. Just his iconic, operatic voice carrying the tune. And honestly? That might be even better. Because if there’s one thing Bruce Dickinson has, it’s range. The man has gone from banshee screams to Broadway-level storytelling in his career, and “The Star-Spangled Banner” will get every ounce of that versatility.

And this is a nice little change from the Steelers. Steelers home openers usually stick with country stars, local choirs, or pop vocalists for the anthem. So, Dickinson’s addition feels like a rare jolt of rock. In recent years, Pittsburgh has seen Martina McBride and hometown acts, but true heavy-metal band legends rarely get this spotlight.

And the timing couldn’t be better. Pittsburgh opens its 2025 home slate against the Seahawks, two hard-hitting, defense-first squads… with a rock god belting the anthem first. Honestly, it doesn’t get much more Steelers than that. And if you live under a rock and have no clue who Bruce Dickinson is, here’s all you need to know about him.

Who exactly is Bruce Dickinson?

For fans who know the Steelers inside and out but maybe not their British metal icons, let’s give you a little crash course. Because this man pretty much does everything. Bruce Dickinson isn’t your average singer. He stepped into Iron Maiden in 1981, replacing Paul Di’Anno, and blew up on 1982’s The Number of the Beast and pretty much cemented Iron Maiden’s name in metal history.

But he’s not just a rock legend, far from it. The man’s also a licensed commercial pilot who flew Iron Maiden’s 747 and 757, Ed Force One, on world tours. Offstage, he’s an author (What Does This Button Do?), entrepreneur, fencer, and even a homebrewer, stacking everything up on top of his rock-star legacy.

And if you’re wondering what your experience would be hearing him sing the anthem? Surreal, for lack of a better word. Dickinson’s reach goes beyond Iron Maiden. His solo work highlights his operatic range and genre-bending chops, most recently with 2024’s The Mandrake Project: A hard rock album paired with a 12-part graphic novel. The 67-year-old is a genius, and we now have the opportunity to witness him do a cappella for the first time ever.

And for the Steelers, this Worksop bporn star just fits right in. Steelers football has always been about grit, toughness, and showmanship in the right spots. Dickinson embodies all three. Just like the late Ozzy Osbourne did. So, expect to see a British heavy-metal titan leading thousands of Terrible Towel-waving fans in what will be a peculiar marriage of cultures.