It was the subject of rumors, denials and much Twitter chatter but now it’s official: Adam Lambert will be performing with Queen this summer.
The official bill for the United Kingdom’s Sonisphere Festival confirmed the news, listing the American Idol runner-up’s name along with the legendary band made famous by the late Freddie Mercury. Lambert later confirmed the booking with a Tweet, writing, “As many suspected, I can finally confirm: I have been invited by Queen to sing one very special concert! … Sorry to be coy about the details the past few weeks, but I made a promise to keep it under wraps as best I could. Gonna be a surreal night!”
The pairing follows a rousing and well-received performance by the band with Lambert at the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards.
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The Sonisphere performance on July 7 will take place at Knebworth, the same venue where Freddie Mercury played his final concert with Queen in August 1986. Other artists on the bill include Kiss, who also performed with Lambert on the Idol season 8 finale, Incubus, The Darkness and Evanescence.
Says Queen guitarist Brian May of the booking: “Judging by my incoming mail, this decision will make a lot of people very happy. It’s a worthy challenge for us, and I’m sure Adam would meet with Freddie’s approval! And what better place to revisit, and walk those emotional paths than Knebworth? It will be a rush.”
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Lambert’s highly anticipated second full-length album Trespassing is due out this Spring.
Tickets for Sonisphere, which takes place July 6 through 8, go on sale Thursday, Feb. 23 at 9 a.m. UK time.
Twitter: @shirleyhalperin
