Dear Sonisphere customer It s only a few weeks till Sonisphere so to help grow the excitement we thought we would send you some information that we recommend you read before you set out so that you can get organised, have the best time possible whilst also keeping yourself and your belongings safe. Tickets are being sent out over the next couple of weeks, so yours should be with you shortly. Travel Getting to Knebworth Park is EASY! Only 25 minutes from London and 2 hours from Birmingham, Knebworth is right on the A1(M) and served by a mainline train station. Add to that the FREE shuttle service and coach packages offered by Sonisphere and you can be sure you will be standing in front of the Apollo stage in no time! BY COACH The greener way to get there We are working with three coach partners to provide a service from near where you straight into the site. These can be booked via: See Tickets National Express Big Green Coach SHUTTLES A FREE shuttle bus service will run during the scheduled train timings from Stevenage Train Station to the Sonisphere site starting at 1pm on the Thursday and ending once you have all gone on Monday. It will be a continuous service rather than at set times. More buses will be available during busy periods but you may need to wait for a short while to get the next available bus. The shuttle bus is not reserved for just rail users. It can be used by local festival goers and people staying or parking in Stevenage. The shuttle bus will leave from the Leisure Park at the foot of the railway station bridge and takes you close to the entrance to the festival. Rock Royalty camping customers have an additional shuttle which picks them from the train station and takes them to the Rock Royalty reception. These buses will be specially labeled Rock Royalty. Please note that all day on Thursday and on Friday till 9pm, the shuttles will only be available for trips in one direction from Stevenage to the festival. You will not be able to use it for return journeys back to Stevenage. This is to ensure that we turn the buses around as quickly as possible and make the trip from the station as quick as we can for everyone using this service. BY AIR Knebworth is in close proximity to all of the main London airports: Heathrow (30 miles), Stanstead (25 miles), Gatwick (75 miles) and Luton (12 miles). Trains run from all these airports to London where you can pick up a train to Stevenage. BY RAIL Please see Sonisphere festivals.com for train timetables.
The nearest useable rail station is Stevenage, two miles away. There is a free shuttle service from the station (see above) plus is a taxi rank. Taxis should cost around 10 to the festival site (depending on traffic). Non-stop Inter-City and local services run to Stevenage from London Kings Cross Station around every 30 minutes. Plus, there are frequent Inter-City connections on the East Coast main line to Cambridge, York, Newcastle, Glasgow, Edinburgh and many other destinations. Please note that there will be NO festival access from Knebworth Train Station. You must use Stevenage station. It is STRONGLY recommended that return train tickets are bought in advance. Stevenage is on a very busy commuter line and has narrow platforms so it will not be possible for festival goers to gain access to the station till after 9.30am once the commuter traffic has died down. The free shuttle service will start at 9.15am from the site but you may need to wait for a short while at the station before accessing the platforms. It is therefore recommended that trains are booked for after 10am to ensure you can meet your travel plans. Please plan to arrive at the station around an hour before your scheduled train. There will be a queuing system in place at the station designed to get those who have booked advance tickets onto the platform in time to catch their train so look carefully at the signs and make sure you are in the right queue. BY ROAD There are two entrances to the site which are accessed via junction 7 and 8 of the A1(M) motorway, 10 miles north of the M25. Signage on the A1(M) will direct you to the appropriate entrance. If using Sat Nav systems, please use the postcode SG1 2AX to direct you till you pick up the road signage. Once near junction 7/8 please use signage and NOT Sat Nav systems. Ample parking is available on site. Parking can be booked via the ticket page in advance for 10 or on the day for 20. There is no restriction on re-entry for weekend ticket holders. All family, disabled and campvan camping passes will give you access from Junction 7. All Rock Royalty get access from Junction 8. Age Restrictions We allow children who are 12 and under free into the event. Their accompanying adults should purchase their tickets in advance and then take the child with them to through the wristband exchange points where they will be given a wristband for the child. Under 16s need to be accompanied by an adult. If you are lucky enough to look under 25 then you will be asked to present ID at the bar and then will be given a wristband which will be your proof that you are able to drink for the rest of the weekend. This allows you to lock away your Id to keep it safe. Acceptable forms of ID are Passports, Driving licence or the government s proof of age scheme card www.pass-scheme.org.uk Things you can bring Food Camping equipment
Prescription medication - accompanied by a doctor s note Disposable BBQs / Hexi block style cookers Chairs these can also be taken into the arena Alcohol If you are over 18 you may bring an amount seen to be for personal consumption which we consider to be 1 case of beer plus 1 bottle spirits per person. Anyone lucky enough to look younger than 25 will be asked for ID. Alcohol cannot be taken into the arena. Things you can t bring Gas or liquid fuel Glass No professional cameras (this is deemed with to be an SLR with a detachable lens) Animals no pets please Excessive quantities of Alcohol Drugs Sonisphere operates a strict no drugs policy, you may be searched on entry and anyone seen to be in possession of drugs risks being ejected from the site and reported to the police. Essentials Ticket you really need that! Bring some warm clothing for the night as it can get cold and ruin the sitting outside the tent putting the world to rights moments. Waterproofs and wellies are a must. Whilst we have been pretty lucky with the weather at Sonisphere so far and Mr Sonisphere is very powerful and able do many things, guaranteeing the weather isn t one of them. Money - bring some cash and make use of the lockers on site. Only carry with you what you need for that day and lock the rest away. There are also cash points on site in Bohemia. Tent - unless you re one of the lucky few who have a pre-erected tent package for Rock Royalty leaving your tent at home is not a good option. Medication - please remember to bring an adequate supply with you with a doctor s note. If you need assistance or storage, welfare and the medical tent will be able to help you. Both are situated in Bohemia. Fancy dress Friday is Superheroes day, don t forget your costume. There will be prizes for the best one including tickets for Sonisphere 2012. Festival Timings Festival Timings: Thursday: Friday: Saturday: Sunday: Gates open 3pm If you have a camping ticket and arrive overnight you may be asked by a steward to camp up with your ticket and return in the morning to receive a wristband. Campsite closes: Monday 12noon Box Office Timings Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 2pm 12Midnight 9am 12Midnight 9am - 9pm 9am 9pm Stage Timings (subject to change) Friday Apollo: 3pm - 11pm approx Bohemia: 3pm 3am Saturday and Sunday Apollo: 11am 11pm approx Saturn: 11.30am 9pm approx Bohemia: 11.30am 3am
The Saturn and Apollo outdoor stages run in a flip-flop style which means that whilst one stage has a band performing on it, the other is being set up for the next band. There will be a gap of approximately 10 minutes between the bands ending and starting to allow people to take a short break and move to the other stage. CRIME PREVENTION We do all we can to help make Sonisphere crime free. There are security and stewarding personnel throughout the site plus the police will be present in the campsites and car parks. However, there will always be some people who target festival sites and crowds and there are things you can do to keep your belongings safe: Book a locker. These are small so are perfect to leave car keys, wallets, phones, ipods etc. in. Take what money you will need for that day and lock the rest up. Lock all of it up before you go back to the campsite to sleep. They are open 24hrs a day. There were a number of people who suffered from pick-pocketing at the front of the stages at the last festival. Avoid this by not having your wallet / phone in your back pocket. Pick up one of the Sonisphere branded lanyards at the festival entrance being handed out by local cadets. These can be used to attach your phone, wallet and other valuables to your person to help beat pick-pockets. Don t leave items on view in your car. Thieves know that you probably won t be going back to your car for a couple of days. Look out for people behaving suspiciously and either talk to a steward or call the crime stoppers number which will be displayed around the site. Be especially vigilant in the campsite on Thursday night. Get to know your neighbours so that you can spot someone who shouldn t be there and they can do the same for you with your belongings. A message from Hertfordshire Constabulary Hertfordshire Constabulary is once again looking forward to the arrival of thousands of Sonisphere festival goers who will be at Knebworth between Thursday, July 7 and Monday, July 11. Superintendent Simon Hawkins said: In the last two years we have had some excellent positive feedback from festival goers. Once again we have spent months planning with the organisers and we are looking forward to being involved in the event for this third year. Although we know most people will be coming to have a good time, enjoy the music and soak up the atmosphere, we also know there will be people who will come to commit crime. We will be keeping a community style of policing whilst also targeting any offenders. When you arrive, we will have Cadets handing out crime prevention advice so please do take a few minutes to speak with them. I would like to take this opportunity to ask anyone coming to Knebworth to consider some crime prevention before and during their time on site so thieves don t ruin their weekend. Before you arrive: The best advice is to pack light and leave valuables at home where possible, but we know people will want to bring items with them. Have a think about what you re bringing: Do you need an ipod with all the other great music you ll be listening too? Do you need a really expensive camera or could a disposable one do?
If you are bringing expensive items, before you come to Knebworth, take a bit of time to register any property so if it is stolen and recovered it can be returned to you. The best thing to do is register your property at www.immobilise.com. Immobilise is a national property registering site that all UK Police services can access to check against property they have found/seized: Helps UK police services to identify the owner of lost & stolen goods thousands of times every day Combats the sale of stolen property, alerts the second-hand trade, and updates the stolen goods database Provides a FREE service to the public When you get here: Vehicle Crime: Where possible, do not leave any valuables in your vehicles If you do have to leave items in your vehicle make sure they are hidden before you arrive in case anyone is watching Open your glove compartment to show that there is nothing of value left in the vehicle If you have a Sat Nav, make sure you move it out of sight and get rid of all suction marks on the windscreen. Your valuables: The best advice is to leave valuables at home but we know most people will want to bring items of value, so: During the day use lockers provided on site to store your valuables. These also have phone chargers in. You can book these on www.ticketmaster.co.uk Postcode your property - if it is stolen or lost and recovered it can be returned to you (property marking is taking place in the car park so please visit officers to find out more). Tents: Let s hope the weather is nice but if it s not the only thing a ten will do is keep your possession dry. Either way, don t leave any valuables in unattended tents. Leave your tent untidy don t make it easy for thieves to grab a bag with everything in it. At night secure your valuables in a bag at the bottom of your sleeping bag. There is always a great community style feel to the event so watch out for each other. If you engage and introduce yourself with enough of those around you, you will quickly identify anybody who is unfamiliar. If you see something suspicious tell a member of staff or a police officer or call the crime stoppers phone number displayed on site. Personal Safety: Remember, there is safety in numbers stay with friends especially at night. Don t show off what valuables you have it could make you a target for criminals. Put money, tickets, credit cards and mobile phones in a zipped pocket or use a money belt If you ve lost or found property please visit the Welfare tents to drop off item s you ve found or to ask if anything has been handed in. After the event check on the website for lost property information. It is your responsibility to ensure your personal welfare however we would advice that is it s hot, make sure you drink plenty of water and if you are drinking alcohol know your limits and drink responsibly. Welfare points are located around the site for further information on personal safety In the event of an incident follow instructions from stewards and police.