aaamusic | On 12, Apr 2012

Queen have announced that they will play two London shows with American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert in July.

The stadium rockers were due to headline this summer’s Sonisphere Festival with Lambert, but have been forced to schedule the new dates after the festival cancelled earlier this month.

Queen will headline London’s HMV Hammersmith Apollo on July 11 and July 12 this summer. Tickets go on general sale next Wednesday (April 18) at 9am (GMT), with a 24-hour presale available for Queen fan club members and Sonisphere bookers available the day before (April 17).

Speaking about the shows, a spokesperson for the band said in a statement: “Queen acted immediately in looking for an alternative venue in an aim to avoid disappointing all those fans who had so desperately looked forward to seeing them at Knebworth. Coming in the lead into the Olympics, most of the venues they first approached were unavailable, being taken as official London Games 2012 venues. As the setting of some of the band’s best remembered concerts, the idea of returning to this historic Hammersmith venue really appealed to them.”

Band members Brian May and Roger Taylor have also spoken about the show, with Taylor adding: “We had made up our minds to play in the UK this year, so play we will! Following the collapse of the Sonisphere organisation we didn’t want to let down all those people expecting to see us live!”

The London dates are set to be two of the four shows Queen will play with Lambert as their frontman.