SJM granted Knebworth events licence

SJM Concerts has been granted a premises licence for Knebworth House in Hertfordshire, reviving attention around one of Britain’s most storied outdoor music sites just days before the 30th anniversary of Oasis’s 1996 shows there. The licence was granted by North Hertfordshire Council, took effect on Saturday and remains in place indefinitely, according to AOL’s report of the council decision. The approval allows events for up to 125,000 people, with live music and dance performances permitted until 03:00. No Oasis date, reunion extension or ticket sale was announced with the licence. ### What exactly did SJM get approved? North Hertfordshire Council granted SJM Concerts a premises licence for Knebworth House, AOL reported, and the approval came into force on Saturday. The licence remains in place indefinitely and covers events at the site rather than a named concert booking. The licence allows events for up to 125,000 people, with live music and dance performances permitted until 03:00, AOL said. (aol.com) A local report by the Welwyn Hatfield Times said the licence also permits live music, recorded music and filming from 10 a.m. to 3 a.m., with late-night refreshment from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. ### Does this mean Oasis is playing Knebworth again? (aol.com) AOL reported that the licence does not include any concert dates and does not amount to an announcement of an Oasis booking. The report said SJM Concerts and Knebworth House were both asked what events are planned for the site. SJM Concerts is the promoter identified in the report as having handled Oasis’s 2025 reunion tour. (aol.com) The same AOL report linked the timing to the approaching anniversary of Oasis’s Knebworth concerts, which has kept speculation around the venue in circulation, but it did not report any confirmed reunion extension or ticket information. ### Why is Knebworth tied so closely to Oasis? (aol.com) Monday will mark 30 years since Oasis played Knebworth on Aug. 10 and 11, 1996, according to AOL. The report said more than 4% of the U.K. population applied for tickets to those Hertfordshire shows, which became a defining part of the band’s live history. Henry Lytton Cobbold, the owner of Knebworth House, said in 2024 that he wanted the band to return for a 30th anniversary show, AOL reported. (aol.com) The venue has also hosted artists including Robbie Williams, Paul McCartney and Metallica, and this weekend marks the 40th anniversary of Freddie Mercury’s final performance with Queen at the site, the same report said. ### What can this licence be used for beyond one band? (aol.com) SJM Concerts has worked on shows for acts including Take That and The Prodigy, as well as comedian Peter Kay, AOL reported. The approval therefore gives the promoter a standing legal framework for large-scale events at Knebworth rather than tying the site to one artist. North Herts Council’s licensing pages show the authority handles premises and entertainment licensing for events in the district. (aol.com) Knebworth House’s own events page already lists non-Oasis programming this summer, including “80s by Moonlight” on Aug. 21, a classic motor show on Aug. 30-31 and the All About Dogs Show on Sept. 12-13. ### What happens next at Knebworth? Monday, Aug. 10, is the immediate milestone because it marks 30 years since Oasis’s first Knebworth show, the anniversary cited in AOL’s report. (aol.com) Any future concert announcement would need to come separately from the licence approval, because the current decision names no specific performance dates. Knebworth House’s public schedule remains the clearest near-term guide to confirmed activity at the site. (north-herts.gov.uk) As of Thursday, Aug. 6, its events page showed August and September 2026 bookings including “80s by Moonlight,” the Classic Motor Show and the All About Dogs Show. (knebworthhouse.com) (aol.com)