UK News: Liam Gallagher Returns To Knebworth, Wide Skies & Butterflies Festival Launches

Liam Gallagher on stag during Oasis Knebworth Park show, Aug. 10, 1996.
Stefan Rousseau – PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images – Liam Gallagher on stage during Oasis Knebworth Park show, Aug. 10, 1996.

Rock History Returns To Knebworth Park
Festival Republic just announced Liam Gallagher as headliner for a day of concerts at England’s Knebworth Park, June 4, 2022.
The charismatic frontman thereby returns to the famous concert location in Hertfordshire 25 years after Oasis performed there in 1996. It will mark Gallagher’s biggest headline show to date.
He’s joined on the bill by Kasabian, Michael Kiwanuka, Fat White Family and Goat girl. Tickets for what Festival Republic has described as “one Biblical event not to be missed,”  go on sale Friday, Oct. 8.

The team behind Wide Skies & Butterflies (from left):
Eastern Daily Press – The team behind Wide Skies & Butterflies (from left):
Abbie Panks, Lord Tom Raynham, Gilly the dog, Samira Williams, Sam Booker and Tom Branston.

Wide Skies & Butterflies Festival Launches With Ticketing Partner Event Genius

In other UK news, promoter SMS Event Production announced a new festival called Wide Skies & Butterflies, which is scheduled to launch Aug. 5-7, 2022, at Raynham Estate in North Norfolk, England.
The festival is the brainchild of co-founders Samira Williams, Mark Ward and Sam Booker. The team has worked on events like Isle of Wight Festival and BST Hyde Park, as well as tours including Madonna, The Rolling Stones and Coldplay in the past.
Also part of the core team behind Wide Skies & Butterflies Festival are event director Tom Branston, Abbie Panks, head of events and marketing at the Raynham Estate, as well as Tom Raynham, the CEO of the Raynham Estate. 
According to local news, Raynham has been driving the diversification of the estate in recent years. Organizers told North Norfolk News that Wide Skies & Butterflies would be a family camping event with a 1990s feel as far as the musical program is concerned, which will be a mix of local and international artists. UK bands Cast, Levellers and Toploader have so far been confirmed. 
The festival also announced a five-year deal with Event Genius as its sole ticketing, travel, access control and cashless payments partner. The advantage of using one company bundling all of these services is that “event-goers will need just one account to purchase tickets and accommodation, top-up their cashless credit, access the event and also purchase food and drink, merchandise and any other ancillary products onsite,” according to the announcement of the deal.
“Not only does it simplify the process and workload on our side and allow us to focus on building the best festival possible, but it also makes sure the fan experience is as smooth as possible which is crucial, particularly for a new festival like ours,” commented Sam Booker.
The five-year deal “allows us to work together to shape the entire concept of the festival so that from the moment a customer buys a ticket to leaving the festival they have the best experience possible,” he added.
Event Genius CCO Yonas Blay commented: “We’ve put a lot of time and effort into developing a fully integrated end-to-end solution for festival fans and creators, and are therefore over the moon to be chosen by such a reputable team to be a key part of their new venture. We can’t wait to get started.”