Sonisphere Festivals has just posted a new photo revealing that Sonisphere UK will be back next summer to celebrate 40 years of festivals at Knebworth. Could Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath be possible headliners?Today on November 11th the Facebook page for Sonisphere UK was updated with a new profile announcing the festival will be celebrating 40 years of festivals at Knebworth next summer. The dates are 4th – 6th of July.
Iron Maiden entertaining a sold out Knebworth Sonisphere in 2010.
We all know that Iron Maiden has been headlining Sonisphere festivals in 2010, 2011 and 2013. With a rumored summer tour for 2014, it is likely to assume that they would be a natural headliner choice for Sonisphere UK. At least if you look at the fact that Maiden tend to play festival gigs in the UK when not touring a new album.
Black Sabbath touring in support of their new album “13”.
Black Sabbath has just confirmed that they are playing the Sweden Rock Festival next summer and they are rumored for French Hellfest, and with that in mind it wouldn’t be far-fetched to think they might be a candidate for one of the three headliner slots at Knebworth next summer.
With the Download headliners already announced, that rules out a Black Sabbath appearance at that festival.
Other major acts that have a long history with Sonipshere and usually tours in the summer are Metallica. Are we in for a massive clash of the titans?
Sonisphere had to cancel the UK festival in 2012 when headliners Kiss and Queen failed to sell enough tickets. Sonisphere UK 2013 never saw the light of day when they failed to secure adequate headlining acts.
This is all speculation at this point, but we will most likely have more news about the subject within the next couple of days.
Maiden Revelations 
That would suit me!
Does anyone know if Maiden and Ozzy has crossed paths since the infamous San Berdino gig at Ozzfest 2005? Could be an interesting rendevouz this one if they have not sorted out their differences. Sharon vs Smallwood…now thats a fight I’d pay to see 😀
Wasn’t really a problem between Maiden and Ozzy. More like between Bruce and Sharon. 😉
They would play on different days anyway and as Christer points out, it was more of a personal thing between Sharon and Bruce. As far as I’m concerned, Sharon isn’t on the road with Sabbath that much anymore and Maiden has been friendly with the other Sabbath guys several times after that stupid event. Heaven and Hell was supposed to support Maiden in 2010.
It was basically Sharon’s problem, not a problem between Bruce and Sharon (I still have to hear any of the comments that Bruce allegedly made).
On a related note, Bruce, Janick and Adrian were hanging out with Tony Iommi at a charity event to help Clive Burr not long after the Ozzfest thing, so I guess everything was only in Sharon’s mind…
That whole drama was no doubt Sharon’s beef, especially since Ozzy had absolutely no idea what was going on at the time, according to an interview he did on Howard Stern. In fact, personally, I’ve always been very curious about that whole nonsense and wouldn’t put it past her if it was all a deliberate PR stunt. She’s smart but can be quite unscrupulous.
Am I just an old grump, or does anyone else prefer indoor gigs to outdoor?
I prefer indoor gigs too, but as I would be quite busy changing nappies next Summer, any Maiden gig in the UK would do! 😆
Why, Ghost — are congratulations in order? :O
Many thanks! Due date is in April. 🙂
Congratulations Ghost! One more mini-Maiden fan in the world…
(Altogether now) “So there is no better time, who will be born today
A gypsy child at daybreak
A king for a day…”
Many thanks 2Mins!
If it ends up being a boy, he’d be the 1st son of a 1st son. Let’s hope he would have the power to heal… 😆
Congrats, Ghost 🙂
Thanks Torgrim/Totty. 🙂
Well, I don’t know about the power to heal, but he’ll definitely have the power to disturb your sleep schedule…
Congrats Ghost! 😀
Thanks a lot for all those nice messages!
Ms. Ray: he/she would have the power to disturb our sleep schedule. So it shall be written, and so it shall be done! 😆 😆
Oh, how wonderful!! Congratulations!! Many blessings of strength, love, and good health to the mama, you, and the little Eddie or Edwina!
Hmm. http://www.upconcert.fr/concert/iron-maiden-clisson-176417
Cheers Adam. It adds to the speculation that Maiden will tour Europe in June. My guess is that they will kick of with some warm up shows in central Europe and move on to Rock Am Ring, then do Copenhell, Hellfest and Sonisphere UK with a few headline shows and maybe a few additional Sonisphere appearances thrown in. Final date will then be Sonisphere UK – gear, crew and band go home 🙂
Sounds totally plausible to me! I only wish it looked like they were coming back to the US… 😦
I am pretty stoked that it looks like they’ll be playing some places where TV streams are a possibility. I’d love another Rock Am Ring or Ullevi concert.
not wishing to poo on any1s parade but sabbaths euro tour ends last few days of june which makes them virtually certain, metallica i think were contractually supposed to appear 3x in the first 5 years of soni uk. Not only that for sonisphere not to bomb again this year, they need a mix of massive headliners, I can see B/S maiden and metallica all being popular attention grabbers, but then not attracting some of the teenage/20something festival goers who have the disposable cash for a ticket. espesh as both did download last year, and we got maiden at dl this year, fair betting it wont interest them in a “omg must go to soni” way. My leaning is to a band such as foos slipknot or rage. And I thought maiden were the final band that reading wanted to sign anyway?
Rich, you might be right – but these are mere speculations from out part and not meant to be taken as anything else. It’s just sort of trying to read the cards if you like.
However, even if Black Sabbath hasn’t announced any dates after late June, doesn’t mean that they don’t have anything booked. They might for instance do Roskilde and Sonisphere UK and then end the tour. It would be odd to tour Europe and steer clear their home country?
In regards to Metallica, they have already confirmed their first Sonisphere for next year, so that means that they’re still in the loop.
Slipknot played Download last year with the weakest turnout of the weekend, so there is no logic as to why they would be a better draw for a UK Sonipshere than Maiden. After all Sonisphere seem to attract an older crowd anyway.
Foo Fighters are a great alternative and you might be right. I guess we will know later today 🙂
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Iron Maiden, Metallica and The Prodigy headlining…
doubtful Sabbath will make an appearance as anything less than headliners coz these headliners have too much respect for them. that being said: who knows what will happen.
I would also like to point out that has no one else noticed that the entirety of ‘the big 4,’ Sabbath, Avenged Sevenfold and other rock and metal legends are all in Europe around the dates of sonisphere?!?!?! along with bands who have no information on what theyre doing at this time (e.g. Slipknot, etc.) Anyone else notice this pattern?
Avenged Sevenfold plays Download, so they are tied up there. Slayer is already confirmed for Sonisphere.
Sabbath was a calculated guess on our behalf. It didn’t come to fruition 🙂