An aerial shot of the crowd at the Apollo stage at Knebworth during the 2011 Sonisphere Festival

DISAPPOINTED ticket holders for Sonisphere 2012 at Knebworth Park will get a full refund following the cancellation of the rock festival.

Promoters Kilimanjaro pulled the plug on the three-day music event today (Thursday), after arranging this year’s festival proved to be “an impossible task” in a “very challenging year”.

A statement released by Team Sonisphere said: “Ticket holders will automatically receive a full refund direct from their ticket agents.”

Also, on the festival website’s terms and conditions page, it states under conditions of sale: “In the event of cancellation of the event only the face value of the ticket will be refunded.”

The international touring festival was due to return to the grounds of the historic Hertfordshire stately home for the fourth time from Friday, July 6 to Sunday, July 8.

Kiss were down to headline the opening night, while Queen with American Idol singer Adam Lambert were the exclusive Saturday headliners.

Faith No More were due to round off the Apollo Stage activities on the Sunday.

Others on the bill – now shelved – included comedian Tim Minchin, Evanescence, Incubus, Marilyn Manson, The Darkness, Cypress Hill, Refused, Mastodon and The Blackout.