Sonisphere 2015 off: No Knebworth music festival this year

Sonisphere's tweet confirming there will be no festival at Knebworth in 2015 (Image: Archant)

Promoters of the international touring rock and metal event confirmed this evening (Friday) there will be no UK leg at Knebworth House this summer.

Sonisphere’s official Twitter account @Sonisphere tweeted at 6pm: “Sonisphere Knebworth is officially not happening in 2015”

A statement on the festival’s website further explained the decision to take a year off.

Organisers said: “Team Sonisphere reluctantly confirm that Sonisphere will not take place in the UK in 2015.

Tents at Sonisphere Festival 2014 with Knebworth House in the distance [Picture: Nichola Nichols] (Image: Nichola Nichols)

“We’ve been working hard to get a line-up that we felt was good enough but also on a weekend which would avoid other events that we know rock fans would want to support.

“Unfortunately our last irons in the fire have just been extinguished and it’s clear that we won’t be in a position to run the event this year.”

The statement added: “We’ve said in the past that Sonisphere will only go ahead if we feel it is going to be good enough and that hasn’t changed.

“We hope all rock fans have a great summer with all the festivals and concerts already in the calendar and we plan to see you all in 2016.”

The Sonisphere 2014 festival's main stage at Knebworth from the air [Picture: National Police Air Service Boreham] (Image: NPAS Boreham)

This will be the third year in four that Sonisphere has not taken place at the Hertfordshire stately home.

Sonisphere Switzerland is the only European show confirmed so far for 2015, with Italy about to announce.

Muse will headline the Swiss event’s line-up on June 6 .

However, the Devon rock trio are headlining the rival Download Festival in this country.

The Prodigy headlining Sonisphere Festival 2014 at Knebworth House [Picture: PG Brunelli] (Image: Archant)

Download’s other 2015 headliners are KISS and Slipknot.

Of the other huge rock acts touring the UK this summer, AC/DC and Foo Fighters have both confirmed their own dates at Wembley Stadium.

Metallica, meanwhile, are down to play the Reading & Leeds Festival.

Sonisphere 2014 was headlined by The Prodigy, Iron Maiden and Metallica, with Deftones, Frank Turner, Slayer, Anthrax and Dream Theater also on the bill.

Rammstein on the Apollo stage at Sonisphere (Image: Archant)

Last year’s rock and metal extravaganza helped Knebworth House celebrate 40 years as a major outdoor music venue.

The festival first took place in the grounds of the stately home in 2009, with Hybrid Theory nu-metal favourites Linkin Park and Metallica topping the bill.

School’s Out singer Alice Cooper, German industrial metallers Rammstein and British heavy metal legends Iron Maiden were the main attractions the following summer.

Thrash metal’s so-called Big 4 – Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax – played on the same bill in this country for the first time in 2011, with Scottish rock trio Biffy Clyro and masked Iowa metallers Slipknot the other headliners.

However, the music event didn’t take place at Knebworth in 2012, or the following year.

Sonisphere 2012 was cancelled just week after tickets had gone on sale, with Queen featuring Adam Lambert, Faith No More and KISS due to headline.

Since then, organisers at Kili Live have always maintained that the event will only go-ahead if they can put together a strong line-up.

Promoters opted against running a festival in the summer of 2013, with a lack of available headliners cited as one of the main reasons behind the decision.

Sonisphere returned with a bang last summer though, with metal heavyweights Metallica and Iron Maiden appearing on the same bill.