The Knebworth Festival is a recurring open-air rock and pop festival held on the grounds of 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. It happened irregularly under several different names until 2022.
The venue has hosted numerous outdoor concerts, featuring artists including the Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Pink Floyd, Genesis, Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band, 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, Iron Maiden, Metallica, the 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 concerts, 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 concert 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 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 (with 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 125,000 per night. In 2003, Robbie Williams headlined at the main stage in Knebworth over a three-day period, drawing crowds of over 375,000, 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 Name Date(s) Artists Attendance (approx.) Ref.The Bucolic Frolic The Allman Brothers Band, the Doobie Brothers, Mahavishnu Orchestra, the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Van Morrison, Tim Buckley60,000Knebworth Festival 1975 Pink Floyd, Captain Beefheart, Linda Lewis, Monty Python, Steve Miller Band, Roy Harper100,000Knebworth Fair 1976 10cc, Hot Tuna, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Don Harrison Band, the Rolling Stones, Todd Rundgren120,000A Midsummer Night's Dream 1978 Atlanta Rhythm Section, Brand X, Devo, Genesis, Jefferson Starship, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Roy Harper60,000Oh God Not Another Boring Old Knebworth! 1978 Dave Edmunds, Frank Zappa, Nick Lowe, Peter Gabriel, the Boomtown Rats, The Tubes, Wilko Johnson's Solid Senders45,000Knebworth Festival 1979 Chas & Dave, Commander Cody, Fairport Convention, Led Zeppelin, the Marshall Tucker Band, Southside Johnny, Todd Rundgren109,000 Chas & Dave, Commander Cody, Led Zeppelin, the New Barbarians, the Marshall Tucker Band, Southside Johnny, Todd Rundgren60,000Knebworth Festival 1980 Elkie Brooks, Lindisfarne, Mike Oldfield, the Beach Boys, the Blues Band, Santana45,000Capital 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 50,000Getty Images: Berry and Waters; FitzGerald; Vaughan; Paraphernalia; Cobb Davenport and Ford; Jacquet; Pepper; Vinson; DeFranco and Gibbs; GordonCapital 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 B. B. King, Jimmy Cliff, the Jazztet, Jay McShann, Tal Farlow The Crusaders, Spyro Gyra, Chico Freeman, Dick Hyman, Dizzy Gillespie Ray Charles, Gerry Mulligan's Big Band, Clark Terry, Freddie Hubbard–Ron Carter, Modern Jazz Quartet Wynton Marsalis, Lionel Hampton's Big Band, Steps Ahead, Dave Brubeck (with Chris Brubeck and Jerry Bergonzi), Great Guitars Greenbelt Festival 1982 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 Greenbelt Festival 1983 100% Proof, Cliff Richard, Jessy Dixon, Mighty Clouds of Joy, Sheila WalshThe Return of the Knebworth Fayre 1985 Alaska, Blackfoot, Deep Purple, Mama's Boys, Meat Loaf, Mountain, Scorpions, UFO80,000A Night of Summer Magic 19869 August 1986Queen, Big Country, Status Quo, Belouis Some 120,000The Silver Clef Award Winners Concert 1990 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 Fears120,000Knebworth Festival 1992 Genesis, Lisa Stansfield, the Saw Doctors90,000Knebworth Festival 199610 August 1996Oasis, Ocean Colour Scene, Manic Street Preachers, the Bootleg Beatles, the Chemical Brothers, the Prodigy125,00011 August 1996Oasis, Cast, Dreadzone, Kula Shaker, Manic Street Preachers, the Charlatans125,000Ministry @Knebworth 2001 Bent, Jamiroquai, Lo Fidelity Allstars35,000Classic Rock Knebworth supplement, circa June 2010Robbie Williams Live at Knebworth 1 August 2003Robbie Williams, Ash, Kelly Osbourne, Basement Jaxx, Moby, the Darkness125,0002 August 2003125,0003 August 2003125,000Wild in the Country 2007 2ManyDJs, Erol Alkan, Hot Chip, Justice, Sasha & John Digweed, Simian Mobile Disco, Tiga, UnderworldSonisphere Festival 2009 Airbourne, Alien Ant Farm, Anthrax, Björn Again, Bullet for My Valentine, Heaven & Hell, Linkin Park, Skindred, Soil, Taking Back Sunday, the Used55,000 Alice in Chains, Avenged Sevenfold, Buckcherry, Feeder, Killing Joke, Lamb of God, Limp Bizkit, Machine Head, Mastodon, Metallica, Nine Inch Nails, Paradise Lost, Saxon55,000Sonisphere Festival 2010 65daysofstatic, Alice Cooper, Delain, Europe, Gary Numan, Terrorvision, Turisas55,000 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 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, Slayer55,000Sonisphere Festival 2011 Anthrax, Diamond Head, Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer Architects, Bad Religion, Biffy Clyro, Cavalera Conspiracy, Sylosis, You Me At Six, Weezer Arch Enemy, Limp Bizkit, Mastodon, Motörhead, Parkway Drive, Slipknot, VolbeatThe Red Hot Chili Peppers The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dizzee Rascal, the Wombats, Reverend and the Makers80,000 Eastern Electronics (2–4) 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 Sonisphere Festival 2014 (4–6) 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 55,000 Knebworth Festival 2022 3 June 2022 Abbie McCarthy, Pastel, Amyl and the Sniffers, Paolo Nutini, Kasabian, Liam Gallagher 100,000 4 June 2022 Jack Saunders, Goat Girl, Fat White Family, Michael Kiwanuka, Kasabian, Liam Gallagher 100,000 Eddfest 2026 (10–11)Iron Maiden, the Darkness, The Hu, Airbourne, The Almighty, Blaze Bayley (Iron Maiden songs), Maiden United, Airforce, Stray, Tony Moore Awaking 125,000 Oasis Live '27September 2027 (11–12, 18–19, 25–26)Oasis, Richard Ashcroft
References
Bibliography
External links
Knebworth House website Knebworth Festival History 1974-1986