Tents going up in preparation for Sonisphere last year

A NEW campsite has been created for Sonisphere 2011 festival-goers at Knebworth House.

Sonisphere 2011 Knebworth sitemap

Demand for full weekend tickets for next month’s three-day rock and metal event in the grounds of the Hertfordshire stately home is much higher than last year.

As a result, organisers have added an extra camping area behind the Red Bull Bedroom Jam and Jagermeister stages to accommodate this year’s estimated 50,000 plus attendees.

Rock fans arriving from the north will be directed off the A1(M) at junction eight and will enter the Knebworth Park estate via the Codicote entrance.

It is due to the additional numbers camping for the whole weekend that only a limited number of Sonisphere day tickets went on sale last month via a special ballot scheme.

Festival manager Zac Fox admitted on the official Sonisphere Festival forums that it would be a bit of a squeeze this year.

She wrote: “We have loads more people camping this year so have had to find more campsite areas. That is why we don’t have so many day tickets available.

“It’s going to be cosy folks, prepare to get to know your neighbours and don’t even think of trying to put up a gazebo!”

Further explaining the new layout, Zac also posted: “If people come south on the A1(M) they will be taken off the road at junction eight and that brings you in through the south entrance (the one that Rock Royalty people use).

Camping at Sonisphere Festival last year with Knebworth House in the distance

“The new campsites are just by that set of car parks.

“You can walk through to the north campsites if you want to meet with friends but if you don’t want to lug your stuff all the way around you can just camp there.”

To see where the campsites are situated, take a look at the official site map for Sonisphere Knebworth by clicking on the links to the right.

The UK leg of the international touring festival runs from Friday, July 8 to Sunday, July 10, and is expected to sell out for the first time in only its third year.

Thrash metal’s Big 4 of Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeth top the bill on the opening night with Scottish rockers Biffy Clyro headlining the Apollo stage on the Saturday.

Masked American metallers Slipknot will close the main stage activities on the Sunday.