THE 2012 Sonisphere Festival set for Knebworth Park this summer has been cancelled, organisers have confirmed this morning (Thursday).

A statement posted on the official festival website today confirmed the rumours that the three-day rock event will not take place in July.

The UK leg of the award-winning international touring festival was due to return to the grounds of Knebworth House from Friday, July 6 to Sunday, July 8 with exclusive headline sets from Kiss, Queen with Adam Lambert and Faith No More.

Ticket holders will now get a full refund.

The statement from Team Sonisphere said: “It is with very heavy hearts and much regret that we announce the cancellation of Sonisphere Knebworth 2012.

“Putting the festival together in what is proving to be a very challenging year was more difficult than we anticipated and we have spent the last few months fighting hard to keep Sonisphere in the calendar.

“Unfortunately circumstances have dictated that we would be unable to run the festival to a standard that both the artists and that Sonisphere’s audience would rightly expect.”

It continued: “We want to express our deepest regrets to the artists and to thank all the staff, suppliers and contractors who worked so hard with us to try and pull off what has proven to be an impossible task and we know how much they share in our disappointment.

“We also want to send a huge thanks to the Sonisphere fans who stuck by us and we are so sorry that we can’t fulfil what we set out to do.

“Ticket holders will automatically receive a full refund direct from their ticket agents.”

The inaugural Sonisphere took place at the Hertfordshire stately home in 2009, with Linkin Park and metal legends Metallica headlining the two nights.

The festival later that year won the ‘Best New Festival’ gong at the 2009 UK Festival Awards.

Alice Cooper, Rammstein and Iron Maiden topped the Sonisphere bill in 2010, with the Knebworth festival extended to three nights. The Iron Maiden day sold out.

Festival organisers Kilimanjaro Live and K2 were also awarded European Promoter of the Year at the 2010 European Festival Awards.

Last summer’s sold-out Sonisphere was the biggest yet in the UK, with 60,000 people each day flocking to see headline sets from thrash metal’s Big 4 of Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax and Metallica, Scottish rockers Biffy Clyro and Slipknot.

The festival secured the ‘Best Line-Up’ honour at last year’s UK Festival Awards.