Yes, you read right! No sooner has this year's amazing Sonisphere come to an end than next year's tickets are already going on sale, with the hope that the 2011 edition was so ball-ticklingly, hair-shakingly, neck-snappingly fabulous, that heading to the 2012 Knebworth party is a foregone conclusion and a straightforward formality. It is, right?

This year saw Sonisphere seriously rub studded shoulders with Download with, quite frankly, a superior headlining prospect featuring the Big four (Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeth).

Other highlights and landmarks included Slipknot's live return from tragedy, Biffy Clyro's inaugural festival headline slot, Bill Bailey just because he's Bill Bailey, rare appearances for The Sisters Of Mercy, The Mars Volta and House Of Pain, possibly the last festival appearance for Gallows with frontman, Frank Carter and the unfortunate Parkway Drive guitarist, Luke Kilpatrick riffing like a trouper from a wheelchair, after breaking his leg surfing - who'd have thought the internet could be so dangerous, eh lads? The bands probably enjoyed themselves as much as the huge crowd of 60,000 revellers each day. You want to go back, don't you?

Tickets for Sonisphere 2012 go on sale at 9am on Wednesday 13th July, with a very tempting teasing offer from the organizers and ticket-agents. A limited batch of Earlybird Tickets will go on sale at 2011 prices with a limited edition Sonisphere t-shirt thrown in for good measure. So, if you've got the readies and you want to hit Knebworth for what could be an even bigger show than this year's, get ready in the morning! And, no - we don't have line-up details yet. AC/DC? Hey, you just never know! The 2012 festival is all set to take place from 6th to 8th July.