# Knebworth Festival

The Knebworth Festival was a recurring open-air rock and pop festival held on the grounds of the Knebworth House in Knebworth, England. The festival first occurred in July 1974 when The Allman Brothers Band, The Doobie Brothers and other artists attracted 60,000 people.
Since then the venue has hosted numerous outdoor concerts, featuring artists including The Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Pink Floyd, Genesis, Frank Zappa, Led Zeppelin, The Beach Boys, Elkie Brooks, Deep Purple, Queen, Status Quo, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Phil Collins, Robert Plant, Dire Straits, Mike Oldfield, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Robbie Williams, and Oasis.

## Major concerts

* The Rolling Stones played in front of an estimated 200,000 at Knebworth in August 1976.
* In 1979, Led Zeppelin performed at Knebworth for two gigs, their first concerts in the United Kingdom since 1975. The band reportedly played to record crowds in excess of 200,000 people, even though official admission records only list 109,000 people. The New Barbarians, Ron Wood's solo outfit with Keith Richards played at the second show on 11 August. Support bands included Fairport Convention and Chas and Dave.
* The Beach Boys headlined the 1980 Knebworth concert, which would prove to be the last UK performance of the band's original lineup. Drummer Dennis Wilson would die in 1983 from drowning. Part of their set was released on CD and DVD in 2002 as Good Timin': Live at Knebworth England 1980.
* The 1985 event was the first UK gig by the re-formed Deep Purple.
* On 9 August 1986, Queen performed their last concert with their original lineup (Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon) in what was Freddie Mercury's final show with the band. Biographer Mark Blake writes, "the official attendance was 120,000, but in reality the audience was closer to 200,000." Queen roadie Peter Hince states, "At Knebworth, I somehow felt it was going to be the last for all of us", while Brian May recalled Mercury saying "I'm not going to be doing this forever. This is probably the last time." Queen did not perform live again until after Mercury's death, at his tribute concert at Wembley Stadium in April 1992.
* On 30 June 1990, the park was the location for The Silver Clef Award Winners Concert which was recorded with highlights released on LP and compact disc, along with home video on VHS and laserdisc later that year, with a newly remixed edition released on DVD in 2002. A Blu-ray edition with upscaled SD video and high resolution audio (LPCM stereo and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1) was released in Europe in 2015. It included the performances of artists including Pink Floyd, Cliff Richard and The Shadows, Tears for Fears, Eric Clapton, Dire Straits, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Robert Plant (w/ Jimmy Page), Phil Collins, Status Quo and Genesis. Pink Floyd's complete set was released with newly remixed audio on multiple formats (180-gram 45 r.p.m. double LP, compact disc and digital platforms) on 30 April 2021.
* In 1996, Oasis, who were supported by The Charlatans, Kula Shaker, Manic Street Preachers, The Bootleg Beatles, The Chemical Brothers, Ocean Colour Scene and The Prodigy, played two shows with an audience of 250,000 per night.
* In 2003, Robbie Williams headlined at the main stage in Knebworth over a three-day period, drawing crowds of over 750,000, and a further 3.5 million who watched live on television and online. Other acts to perform on the same stage were The Darkness, Ash, Moby, Basement Jaxx and Kelly Osbourne. This concert caused a huge traffic jam on the A1(M) as thousands of cars tried to reach the venue during Friday evening rush hour. A subsequent album, entitled Robbie Williams – Live at Knebworth, was released, and reached number two in the UK charts. A DVD entitled What We Did Last Summer, was released afterwards.
* In 2009, Metallica and Linkin Park headlined the first ever UK Sonisphere Festival. Other bands included Nine Inch Nails, Heaven & Hell, and Avenged Sevenfold, whose late drummer The Rev would play his final show during the festival. The festival took place again in 2010 with Rammstein and Iron Maiden headlining plus performances from other acts such as Alice Cooper, Iggy and the Stooges and Mötley Crüe.

## Concert history

| Date | Name | Artists | Attendance (approx.) |
| 20 July 1974 | The Bucolic Frolic | The Allman Brothers Band, The Doobie Brothers, Mahavishnu Orchestra, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Van Morrison, Tim Buckley | 60,000 |
| 5 July 1975 | Knebworth Festival | Pink Floyd, Captain Beefheart, Linda Lewis, Monty Python, Steve Miller Band, Roy Harper | 100,000 |
| 21 August 1976 | Knebworth Fair | 10cc, Hot Tuna, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Don Harrison Band, The Rolling Stones, Todd Rundgren | 120,000 |
| 24 June 1978 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Atlanta Rhythm Section, Brand X, Devo, Genesis, Jefferson Starship, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Roy Harper | 60,000 |
| 9 September 1978 | Oh God Not Another Boring Old Knebworth! | Dave Edmunds, Frank Zappa, Nick Lowe, Peter Gabriel, The Boomtown Rats, The Tubes, Wilko Johnson's Solid Senders | 45,000 |
| 4 August 1979 | Knebworth Festival | Chas & Dave, Commander Cody, Fairport Convention, Led Zeppelin, The Marshall Tucker Band, Southside Johnny, Todd Rundgren | 109,000 |
| 11 August 1979 | Knebworth Festival | Chas & Dave, Commander Cody, Led Zeppelin, The New Barbarians, The Marshall Tucker Band, Southside Johnny, Todd Rundgren | 60,000 |
| 21 June 1980 | Knebworth Festival | Elkie Brooks, Lindisfarne, Mike Oldfield, The Beach Boys, The Blues Band, Santana | 45,000 |
| 15 June 1981 | Capital Jazz Festival 1981 | Benny Goodman; Chuck Berry; Ella Fitzgerald; Lionel Hampton's Big Band (without Hampton, who was ill); Muddy Waters; Sarah Vaughan; Barbara Thompson's Paraphernalia; Arnett Cobb, Wallace Davenport and Ricky Ford; Illinois Jacquet; Art Pepper; Eddie Vinson; Buddy DeFranco and Terry Gibbs; Dexter Gordon | 50,000 |
| July 1982 | Capital Jazz Festival 1982 | Pizza Express All Stars, NYJO, Zoot Money, Bobby Lamb–Ray Premru Band, the Ronnie Scott Quintet, Nucleus, Shakatak, Morrissey–Mullen, the Breakfast Band, Carmen McRae | |
| 17 July 1982 | Capital Jazz Festival 1982 | B.B. King, Jimmy Cliff, The Jazztet, Jay McShann, Tal Farlow | |
| 18 July 1982 | Capital Jazz Festival 1982 | The Crusaders, Spyro Gyra, Chico Freeman, Dick Hyman, Dizzy Gillespie | |
| 24 July 1982 | Capital Jazz Festival 1982 | Ray Charles, Gerry Mulligan's Big Band, Clark Terry, Freddie Hubbard–Ron Carter, Modern Jazz Quartet | |
| 25 July 1982 | Capital Jazz Festival 1982 | Wynton Marsalis, Lionel Hampton's Big Band, Steps Ahead, Dave Brubeck (w/ Chris Brubeck and Jerry Bergonzi), Great Guitars | |
| August 1982 | Greenbelt Festival | Adrian Snell, Andy Pratt, Positive Earth, Bryn Haworth, Calvin Seerveld, Jim Wallis, Noel Paul Stookey, Paradise, Patrick Sookhdeo, Maxine and the Majestics, Rez Band, Roger Forster, Servant, Talking Drums, The Barratt Band | |
| August 1983 | Greenbelt Festival | 100% Proof, Cliff Richard, Jessy Dixon, Mighty Clouds of Joy, Sheila Walsh | |
| 22 June 1985 | The Return of the Knebworth Fayre | Alaska, Blackfoot, Deep Purple, Mama's Boys, Meat Loaf, Mountain, Scorpions, UFO | 80,000 |
| 9 August 1986 | A Night of Summer Magic | Queen, Status Quo, Big Country, Belouis Some This would be Queen's final concert with Freddie Mercury. | 120,000 |
| 30 June 1990 | The Silver Clef Award Winners Concert | Cliff Richard & The Shadows, Genesis, Dire Straits, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd, Robert Plant & Jimmy Page, Status Quo, Tears for Fears | 120,000 |
| 2 August 1992 | Knebworth Festival | Genesis, Lisa Stansfield, The Saw Doctors | 90,000 |
| 10 August 1996 | Knebworth Festival | Oasis, Ocean Colour Scene, Manic Street Preachers, The Bootleg Beatles, The Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy | 125,000 |
| 11 August 1996 | Knebworth Festival | Oasis, Cast, Dreadzone, Kula Shaker, Manic Street Preachers, The Charlatans | 125,000 |
| 11 August 2001 | Ministry @ Knebworth 2001 | Bent, Jamiroquai, Lo Fidelity Allstars | 35,000 |
| 1 August 2003 | Robbie Williams Live at Knebworth | Ash, Kelly Osbourne, Basement Jaxx, Moby, Robbie Williams, The Darkness | 125,000 |
| 2 August 2003 | Robbie Williams Live at Knebworth | Ash, Kelly Osbourne, Basement Jaxx, Moby, Robbie Williams, The Darkness | 125,000 |
| 3 August 2003 | Robbie Williams Live at Knebworth | Ash, Kelly Osbourne, Basement Jaxx, Moby, Robbie Williams, The Darkness | 125,000 |
| 30 June 2007 | Wild in the Country 2007 | 2ManyDJs, Erol Alkan, Hot Chip, Justice, Sasha & John Digweed, Simian Mobile Disco, Tiga, Underworld | |
| 1 August 2009 | Sonisphere Festival | Airbourne, Alien Ant Farm, Anthrax, Björn Again, Bullet for My Valentine, Heaven & Hell, Linkin Park, Skindred, Soil, Taking Back Sunday, The Used | 55,000 |
| 2 August 2009 | Sonisphere Festival | Alice in Chains, Avenged Sevenfold, Buckcherry, Feeder, Killing Joke, Lamb of God, Limp Bizkit, Machine Head, Mastodon, Metallica, Nine Inch Nails, Paradise Lost, Saxon | 55,000 |
| 30 July 2010 | Sonisphere Festival | 65daysofstatic, Alice Cooper, Delain, Europe, Gary Numan, Terrorvision, Turisas | 55,000 |
| 31 July 2010 | Sonisphere Festival | Anthrax, Apocalyptica, Corey Taylor, Family Force 5, Fear Factory, Gallows, Lacuna Coil, Mötley Crüe, Papa Roach, Placebo, Rammstein, Sabaton, Skunk Anansie, Soulfly, Therapy? | 55,000 |
| 1 August 2010 | Sonisphere Festival | Alice in Chains, Bring Me the Horizon, cKy, The Cult, Dir En Grey, Fightstar, Funeral for a Friend, Henry Rollins, Iggy & The Stooges, Iron Maiden, Madina Lake, Pendulum, Skindred, Slayer | 55,000 |
| 8 July 2011 | Sonisphere Festival | Anthrax, Diamond Head, Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer | |
| 9 July 2011 | Sonisphere Festival | Architects, Bad Religion, Biffy Clyro, Cavalera Conspiracy, Sylosis, You Me At Six, Weezer | |
| 10 July 2011 | Sonisphere Festival | Arch Enemy, Limp Bizkit, Mastodon, Motörhead, Parkway Drive, Slipknot, Volbeat | |
| 23 June 2012 | Red Hot Chili Peppers | Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dizzee Rascal, The Wombats, Reverend and the Makers. | 80,000 |
| August 2013 (2–4) | Eastern Electronics | Hot Natured, Moderat, Âme, Anja Schneider, Ata, Ben UFO, Blawan, Catz N Dogz, Chris Liebing, Claude VonStroke, The Climbers, Clockwork, Damian Lazarus, Dave Clarke, Deetron, Dixon, DJ Sneak, DJ Tennis, Droog, Dyed Soundorom, Eats Everything, Ellen Allien, Felix Dickinson, Francesca Lombardo, Futureboogie DJs, Gavin Herlihy, Geddes, Giles Smith, Guy Gerber, Heidi, Huxley, Infinity Ink, James Priestley, Josh Wink, Joy Orbison, Jozif, Justin Martin, DJ Koze, Krankbrother, Laura Jones, Levon Vincent, Luca Pilato, Maceo Plex, Magda, Masters at Work, Matthias Tanzmann, Maurice Fulton, Maxxi Soundsystem, Maya Jane Coles, Michael Mayer, Miguel Campbell, MK, Nick Curly, No Artificial Colours, Pan-Pot, PBR Streetgang, Prosumer, Ralph Lawson, Raresh, Richy Ahmed, Robert James, Roman Flügel, Ryan Crosson, Sasha, Seth Troxler, Shadow Child, Luke Slater, Soul Bros, Subb-an, Tama Sumo, Theo Parrish, Tommy Four Seven, Waifs and Strays | 12,000 |
| July 2014 (4-6) | Sonisphere 2014 | Metallica, Iron Maiden, The Prodigy, Dream Theater, Slayer, Alice in Chains, Deftones, Limp Bizkit, Watain, Mastodon, Band of Skulls, Frank Turner, Babymetal, Dropkick Murphys, Chas & Dave, Glass City Vice, The Sisters of Mercy | 50,000 |
| 3 June 2022 | Liam Gallagher | Abbie McCarthy, Pastel, Amyl and the Sniffers, Paulo Nutini, Kasabian, Liam Gallagher | 100,000 |
| 4 June 2022 | Liam Gallagher | Jack Saunders, Goat Girl, Fat White Family, Michael Kiwanuka, Kasabian, Liam Gallagher | 100,000 |