First and foremost, remember that all of this gossip could be based on offers made to GN'R, and not offers accepted. It could all be made up, who knows. So, anything can happen until everything is confirmed.

If GN'R do a festival run, it is almost inevitable there will some standalone shows as well at a different point in time. The band will have to stand by the exclusion clauses in the contracts, but standalone shows within a few weeks or months could easily happen. Green Day are touring Europe in February, then doing festivals in June.

Why would GN'R do a festival run? There appears to be alot of big bands touring in the Summer. A high demand for stadiums would logically push the price of staging a concert up. At the same time, a demand for festival slots would logically push prices down that festivals have to pay bands. This would free up funds to give GN'R the money they are after. I would have also thought that bands like Green Day and Metallica aren't as expensive as they were. Green Day could command 750k-1 mill a few years back, but their stock has surely fallen a little.

Also, with alot of concerts and festivals taking place, GN'R may not want to stage huge shows at a time when a fan is having to pay out to see this band here and that festival there. We cannot, as fans, afford to see everything. So a small festival run could make sense. It must be logistically easier and it means that fans who go to festivals to see other bands will also watch GN'R. They are putting on a good show just now, so why not show it off to fans who maybe gave up on them years ago. They could then run a load of standalone shows at a time when the circuit is less busy. Fans at festivals will go home and say to pals, hey I saw them, they were great, I'd recommend them. The festival circuit could be a bit of free money and a bit of promotion for them. Plus, it must be fun playing festivals.

Pinkpop has moved, so if it is festivals we could have a sequence now;

Rock AM Ring, Rock IM Park, Germany - 2nd-4th June (From promoter, via Paul Skinner, not confirmed)
Pinkpop, Netherlands - 5th-7th June (From promoter, via Paul Skinner, not confirmed)
Sweden Rock Festival, Sweden - 7th-10th June
Download Festival, UK - 9th-11th June
Download Festival, France - 9th - 11th June
Aerodrome Festival, Czech Republic - 15th-17th June
Novarock, Austria - 15th-17th June
Rock in Rome, Italy - 17th-24th June (?)
TW Classic, Rock Werchter, Belgium - 24th June

I cannot see GN'R playing Hellfest. I also think Novarock and Aerodrome must go together, same promoter. Novarock was moved, Pinkpop was moved.

Denmark (Roskilde?), Finland could follow Belgium. Spain and Portugal July (or Mad Cool between 17th and 24th). Switzerland could squeeze in early, or after Belgium

One Direction is an odd one as well haha

Here's a probable fake poster. Band selection too fanciful

Sonisphere has an increased amounts of concerts next year, confirmation from promoter. There are alot of big bands touring next Summer, but given K2's connection with GN'R, it is of interest