Celebrating 50 years of rock concerts at Knebworth Park

Fifty years ago, Knebworth Park held its very first rock concert and so began a new chapter in the history of the 500-year-old Hertfordshire home.

The first Knebworth show on Saturday, July 20, 1974 — the Bucolic Frolic — featured performances from the Allman Brothers, Van Morrison and Doobie Brothers.

The poster for Knebworth Park's first concert on Saturday, July 20, 1974. (Image: Knebworth House)

The crowd at the Bucolic Frolic at Knebworth (Image: Supplied by Knebworth House)

In the decades that followed, the music venue, the largest in the country, has become as legendary as the greats of rock, jazz and pop that have held court on its historic hillside.

Rock royalty the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Queen, Oasis, Robbie Williams, Iron Maiden and Metallica have all headlined shows at Knebworth.

British rock history has been made as every major band has wanted to be part of the Knebworth legacy, since its first show in 1974 to the most recent Liam Gallagher concerts in 2022.

Liam Gallagher playing Knebworth in 2022. (Image: Rob Ryder)

Knebworth Park's beautiful natural bowl and historic house setting, and most significantly, its capacity for 125,000 music fans — 35,000 more than Wembley Stadium — has made it the premier rock venue in Britain.

Henry Lytton Cobbold, of Knebworth House, said: "I am proud that Hertfordshire is home to the largest single-stage music venue in the country and that, over 50 years, Knebworth Park has become legendary worldwide for its classic shows.

"I’m so grateful my father had the vision back in 1974, with original promoter Freddy Bannister, to create this extraordinary legacy.

"Before his death in 2022, my father and I had both only ever missed one of all the Knebworth concerts. He said the one I missed – Pink Floyd – was the best.

"But I was quick to tell him that, no, the only one he missed was the best — the last night of Robbie Williams in 2003. As Robbie said on the night, ‘This is the best show in the world right now.’ Robbie was right. 20 years on, I’ve not seen a better one."

Robbie Williams at Knebworth (Image: Supplied by Knebworth House)

Millions have travelled to the Hertfordshire venue over the years to see their heroes, and for many the Knebworth concert they attended in their youth defined their generation.

In 1975, Pink Floyd introduced a live Spitfire into their performance of 'Dark Side Of The Moon’ and debuted 'Wish You Were Here'.

The following year, The Rolling Stones played on a giant inflatable red lips and tongue stage, designed by Bill Harkin who designed the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury.

The Rolling Stones' stage at Knebworth (Image: Supplied by Knebworth House)

Led Zeppelin played their last ever UK gigs with their original line-up at Knebworth in 1979.

The Beach Boys also played their last ever UK gig with their original line-up in Hertfordshire in 1980.

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Legendary Queen frontman Freddie Mercury played his final show with the band at Knebworth in 1986.

The inside sleeve of Queen album Live Magic features a picture of the band's helicopter above Knebworth Park (Image: Alan Davies)

In 1990, MTV took Knebworth worldwide, broadcasting a charity gig featuring the likes of Pink Floyd, Paul McCartney, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, Elton John, and Eric Clapton.

The 1990 Silver Clef Award Winners Concert was Knebworth Park's answer to Live Aid, with the stellar line-up also including Cliff Richard and The Shadows, Genesis and Phil Collins, Status Quo, Tears for Fears, Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits.

A quarter of a million people turned up to witness Oasis define the Britpop era in 1996 with their two seminal Knebworth Park shows.

An Oasis ticket for Knebworth 1996 cost £22.50. (Image: Archant)

Oasis played Knebworth a second time on Sunday, August 11, 1996 (Image: Archant)

The crowd for Oasis at Knebworth (Image: Supplied by Knebworth House)

Seven years later, Let Me Entertain You and Angels singer Robbie Williams went one better, playing the biggest music event in British history at that point, when 375,000 people turned up at Knebworth to see him over one weekend in 2003.

An aerial view of Robbie Williams at Knebworth (Image: Supplied by Knebworth House)

Audience for Robbie Williams at Knebworth (Image: Supplied by Knebworth House)

Robbie Williams programme seller at Knebworth in 2003 (Image: Supplied by Knebworth House)

The Sonisphere festivals between 2009 and 2014 brought the best of international heavy rock to Knebworth, including three performances from American rock giants Metallica.

Metallica on stage at the 2011 Sonisphere Festival at Knebworth (Image: Thomas Clark / Archant)

In 2010, Sonisphere featured the largest live audience in the UK ever for a non-English language concert for the German band Rammstein.

Rammstein’s display of fire, flames and special effects contained an estimated 22 tonnes of pyrotechnics.

Rammstein brought lots of pyro to Knebworth (Image: Alan Davies)

Rammstein on stage at Sonisphere (Image: Alan Davies)

Rammstein on stage at Knebworth. (Image: Archant)

At Sonisphere 2011, comedian Bill Bailey entertained the largest UK audience ever for a live comedy show.

Twenty-six years on from Oasis’ historic shows, and in the wake of a worldwide cinema release of 'Oasis Knebworth 1996', Liam Gallagher returned to Knebworth Park in 2022 to play to 160,000 people — the biggest shows of his solo career.

And so records continue to be broken, and Knebworth continues to be the ultimate destination for bands and artists seeking to make history, at the world's greatest rock venue.

You can find out more at Knebworth House's exhibition of unique memorabilia and film clips from the full 50-year history of Knebworth shows.

Roll on the next 50 years!