The latest addition to the UK’s incredible roster of rock festivals, Stone Free will be taking over the O2 in London on the 18th and 19th of June. Shock-rock icon Alice Cooper will be bringing his legendary stage show to headline the Saturday night, while Sunday’s bill is topped by keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman, who will be bringing a world-exclusive performance of his classic opus The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table among others from his vast catalogue. Not only this, but this appearance will mark the former Yes man’s first solo performance in almost 40 years, so is not one to be missed.
There is plenty more for prog fans to sink their teeth into on Sunday: representing the old school will be ‘Kayleigh‘ hitmakers Marillion, former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett, and a special symphonic arrangement of Pink Floyd‘s classic Wish You Were Here album, while the likes of Haken, Messenger, and Knifeworld will be present to show us that prog is still going strong in the modern age.
Saturday’s line-up features a whole host of Classic Rock bands, including Britrock heroes The Darkness, Finnish cellists Apocalyptica, Southern Rock stalwarts Blackberry Smoke, Irish veterans Therapy? and Hanoi Rocks frontman Michael Monroe among others across the festival’s multiple stages.
Stone Free is more than just a concert; it is a celebration of Classic Rock culture, and as such there are plenty of events and activities set to take place around the festival site over the weekend to cater to all your rock ‘n’ roll needs. These include Q&A ‘storytelling’ sessions with artists, screenings of cult classic movies, classic album playbacks, and one of the UK’s largest vinyl fairs.
With all this and more, Stone Free looks set to become a staple of the British festival season and the ultimate celebration of Classic Rock.
Stone Free Festival 2016 takes place at the O2 Arena in London between the 18th-19th June. Weekend and day tickets are available at the festival’s website.
