Metallica and Linkin Park confirmed for new Sonisphere festival

60,000 rock fans are expected to head for Hertfordshire's Knebworth House for a two-day rock festival festival called Sonisphere headlined by Metallica, and Linkin Park.

The event which happens on on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd August 2009 will have one main arena with a stage at either end. The headliner for Saturday is expected to be Linkin Park, and the headliner for Sunday is expected to be Metallica, with Lamb Of God, and Mastodon in support. For the rumours of who might be playing, please click here.

"We're stoked to be touring England and Europe with Sonisphere", said Metallica's drummer Lars Ulrich. "Summer festivals in Europe are what Metallica do best. We can't wait to see all of our fans over there."

In last year's eFestival interview with Stuart Galbraith, CEO of concert promoters Kilimanjaro Live Limited, (here). Galbraith told us about Sonisphere saying, "There's one new festival, which we're looking to launch next year, which at the moment I can't tell you a lot about. It's very much in the rock vein, to enter the market place in the same area as Download."

Galbraith was also responsible for the original Monsters of Rock and then the Download Festival, until he was sacked from from Live Nation in 2007. Kilimanjaro is a joint venture with AEG, the world's second largest promoter, and are also involved in Bloodstock, Big Green Gathering, and Wakestock and they also promoted the Unholy Alliance tour, the Defenders of the Faith tour and Slipknot.

Knebworth House, the home of the Lytton family for more than 500 years, has been a fixture in the British musical scene since it started hosting festivals in 1974. The legendary venue is synonymous with live music and has been home to some of the greatest, most memorable, history-making concerts of all time. From the world’s biggest rock and roll band The Rolling Stones to rock legends Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Genesis to Queen who performed their last show before the death Freddie Mercury, to Oasis who’s two shows saw 2.6 million people apply for 250,000 tickets, the most in-demand concert in British history.

The festival will have two outdoor stages, with 12-14 acts alternating between one stage and another to keep the music continuous, whilst not having two acts playing at the same time.

The festival will have camping at Knebworth with the campsite open for arrivals from 3pm on Thursday, and checkout at midday on Monday. The event will also offer festival goers a cinema, a fair, market, jugglers, and the usual festival offerings. There will also be a campsite stage with new bands and DJ sets as well. The festival does not have a strict noise curfew, and so entertainment will run until late.

Sonisphere will also going on the road, touring Europe, visiting countries throughout Europe in the run-up to Knebworth with one day events in Holland, Spain, Germany, Sweden, and Finland. The Knebworth festival will be the biggest, and the culmination of the festival tour. From 2010, Sonisphere is expected to break beyond Europe and become a global event.

Weekend tickets will be priced at £132.50, or £157.50 with camping. Lockers are priced at £10, and parking is also £10 in advance or £20 on the day. And early arrival camping entry ticket is priced at £10, and tickets for camper vans are priced at £40. Tickets will go on sale at 9am on Wednesday 11th February and eFestivals will have links for you to buy them then.

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