British Bands Snub Rock Hall of Fame as Iron Maiden, Sex Pistols, Oasis Refuse to Attend

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame continues to provoke disdain from British rock acts, with Iron Maiden, the Sex Pistols, and Oasis among those publicly rejecting the institution. Iron Maiden, confirmed as 2026 inductees, will skip the November ceremony to prioritize their 50th-anniversary tour. Manager Ron Smallwood stated the band made clear to the Hall that fans come first. The Sex Pistols, inducted in 2006, issued a handwritten statement calling the Hall a "piss stain" and refusing to attend. Oasis, on the longlist for 2024, saw Liam Gallagher post expletive-laden criticism on X, though he later revealed his mother Peggy from Co Mayo convinced him to attend if inducted in 2026. The Cure's Robert Smith famously deadpanned his lack of excitement during a red-carpet interview before his 2019 induction. Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden had earlier called the Hall "an utter and complete load of bo**ocks" run by "sanctimonious bloody Americans." The Hall, founded in 1983 by Ahmet Ertegun, is housed in a IM Pei-designed pyramid in Cleveland, Ohio. First inductee Elvis Presley was honored in 1986. The 2026 inductees include Wu-Tang Clan, Billy Idol, Sade, and Phil Collins, with a record number of British acts.