Oasis ‘25: What’s the Story – Back to Glory?
Millions of songs sold, with millions still streaming today, sold out gigs packed with screaming fans, and worldwide acclaim – for brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher and the rest of the band, it felt as though Oasis as an entity was dead.
Ahead of the reunion, Charlie Gardner asks: What’s the Story?
Formation of the band
The group formed in Manchester during the early 1990s, with Liam Gallagher joining Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs, Paul McGuigan, and Tony McCarroll back when the band was known as The Rain.
Eventually, after renaming themselves as Oasis, Liam’s older brother Noel joined the band and Oasis as the world knows it formed.
Following the 1994 release of breakthrough album Definitely Maybe, the band took off on a trajectory that would change British and music culture for decades to come.
Definitely Maybe became the UK’s fastest-selling debut album in history (at the time) and was succeeded by the legendary (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?, which featured immensely popular tracks “Wonderwall” and “Don’t Look Back in Anger” amongst a number of other monumental songs.
Success was more than just album sales, though, as Noel’s soulful lyrics and Liam’s distinctive vocals impacted both the industry and the public, while their personal swagger, style, and working-class attitude became traits the public sought to emulate, particularly in northern towns.
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Break-up and further careers
In 2009, following five more albums and years of worldwide success, the final straw came.
After years of clashing personalities, a backstage argument between the brothers at a festival in Paris led to violence and ultimately older brother Noel quitting the band.
Gigs were cancelled much to fans’ dismay and Oasis was over.
The dramatic split felt as though it was a long time coming and eventually both brothers moved on with their careers, with Noel forming the successful Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and Liam starting Beady Eye before moving onto an equally prosperous solo career.
Both brothers would tour and perform select Oasis songs throughout their solo careers and for some it felt as though that would be the closest they’d get to seeing Oasis again.
The big announcement
The time is August 2024.
Fans across the UK are attending gigs, including those at the Reading and Leeds Festivals, which see the final shows of Liam Gallagher’s ‘Definitely Maybe 30 Years’ tour (side note – an absolutely fantastic gig).
Following the televised set in Reading that comprises the final night of the festival, a bizarre graphic appears on the screens beside the stage.
It features a square box reminiscent of the Oasis logo with the date ‘27.08.24’, and the same thing happens at the end of a Blossoms gig in Manchester too.
The graphic is then posted on all official Oasis accounts and both Gallaghers’ social media accounts.
Speculation starts immediately, but – as it turned out – it would simply be a case of waiting for 8am the next day.
And sure enough, fans finally got what they wanted – after 16 long years, Oasis were back.
A photo of the boys together for the first time since the break-up was released and a reveal trailer announced that tickets would go on sale soon, and so the scramble began.
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Tour details
Fast-forward to the end of June 2025 and the most anticipated tour in modern history is almost here, with more dates and venues added to the list of what has become an international tour.
Let’s start with a list of venues:
Cardiff (Principality): 4-5 July
Manchester (Heaton Park): 11-12, 16, 19-20 July
London (Wembley): 25-26, 30 July; 2-3 August; ballot-only shows 27-28 September
Edinburgh (Murrayfield): 8-9, 12 August
Dublin (Croke Park): 16-17 August
The tour kicks off in Cardiff before making its way through a multitude of what is expected to be totally sold-out stadia and other venues.
Many die-hard fans may pick out Heaton Park as an ideal venue given the boys’ upbringing in the area, but no fans will be picky if they get their hands on golden tickets elsewhere, some of which are reselling at heavily inflated prices that only reinforce that the band is as popular as ever.
Noel and Liam’s recent solo tours also prove that they can still do it, as groups amass at any opportunity to see just half of Oasis perform.
The general consensus is that the two still have ‘it’ while performing the historic tracks alone, so any doubts of quality can be quashed ahead of the tour’s opening night on July 4.
And with Bonehead appearing on Liam’s tour to the delight of thousands of desperate fans, the band can go into the tour confident that people are keen to see them and fully versed in their songs.
The upcoming tour will be supported by artists and groups such as Richard Ashcroft, Cast, and Cage the Elephant, further evidence that this is an event many great musicians of the modern era want in on.
Conclusion and final say
Oasis Live ‘25 is already shaping up to be one of the biggest music tours in history.
With a song catalogue and musical reputation such as that of Oasis, a setlist is almost irrelevant as spectators are assured of quality throughout, not to mention the peace of mind that comes with an experience that previously felt impossible.
The scale of the tour is moreover incredible, spanning multiple continents in a manner that creates the impression that there is no difference between Oasis now and Oasis then, other than a whole generation of new fans of course.
Ultimately, this tour feels as though it is a testament to the strength and power of what music and culture can be when combined, at least for those who are fortunate enough to have the money to attend.
Oasis return on July 4 after a 16-year hiatus for one of the most anticipated events in recent music culture.
The question is: Will you be there?
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