In late September, Oasis announced an unlikely reunion after a 15-year hiatus. Brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher shared an announcement that they would play a string of stadium dates in the U.K. and Ireland in 2025 at London’s Wembley Stadium, Manchester’s Heaton Park and beyond.
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First formed in 1991 in their native Manchester, the brothers eventually split in 2009 following a backstage altercation in Paris. Both enjoyed successful solo outings since then, amassing a combined 10 No. 1 albums between them in the U.K. (six for Liam, four for Noel).
The announcement arrived hot on the heels of anniversary reissues of their first two records, 1994’s Definitely Maybe and 1995 follow-up (What’s The Story) Morning Glory ?. It conjures up sheer excitement and plenty of questions; below, Billboard runs through the biggest talking points to keep a beady eye on.
Ticket Sale Furor
Demand was high for the dates announced to take place next July and August. A statement from the band said that over 10 million fans from 158 countries were attempting to purchase tickets on the initial general sale date (Aug. 31). All dates are completely sold out.
However, there has been considerable blowback to the sale strategy and a particular ire towards Ticketmaster. After a long wait – queue numbers reached above 500,000 for a single date – some fans were dismayed by Ticketmaster’s use of the “in-demand” dynamic ticket pricing model for tickets. The face value of certain tickets rose from £135 to over £350, forcing fans to make quick, expensive decisions on how much they could afford to buy for tickets. There has been anger that the demand may have inflated the price of tickets.
The band have since responded claiming that they “at no time had any awareness that dynamic pricing was going to be used” in the sale process. They have since announced two new dates for Wembley Stadium on Sept. 27-28, 2025 and that the ticket sale process will be an “invitation only ballot” for fans who did not land tickets the first time around.
The story is unlikely to end there. The U.K. government has promised an investigation into the dynamic pricing model and the U.K.’s Competition and Market Authority is undertaking an “urgent review.” Ticketmaster has yet to make a statement regarding the on-sale process.
All Around The World
Fans outside of the U.K. are clamouring for their opportunity to see the band perform live and it appears they will get their wish. Upon initial announcement, the band said they had plans to take Oasis Live ‘25 to continents outside of Europe following the conclusion of their initial run. A billboard taken out by Amazon Music in New York City’s Times Square appears to be teasing a run of U.S. dates in the near future.
Battle of the Band
Oasis’ lineup has been changeable since their formation in 1991 with an array of members coming and going. We know for certain that Noel and Liam will be performing, but who will join them?
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The band’s original rhythm guitarist Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs – who battled cancer in recent years – is set to be included, as well as his eventual replacement Gem Archer. The latter performed as a member of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds in recent years.
Alan White, the band’s drummer between 1995 and 2004, has teased his involvement on his social media profiles. The group’s original drummer Tony McCarroll has claimed that he is unlikely to be involved. He told MailOnline that while he was “happy” about the news, neither brother had reached out and that “I’m not holding my breath.” Time will tell if Andy Bell, bassist between 1999 and their eventual breakup in 2009, will be involved. Bell has songwriting credits on each of Oasis’ last three albums.
“Today Is Going To Be the Day…”
But why are the pipes of peace playing now? A reunion has been discussed extensively by both brothers (and the press) throughout their solo careers, with Liam being the keener of the pair. In 2023, Noel said that his team “should call mine” and get the reunion done.
There are massive commercial opportunities for both the duo. They’re expected to clear £50 million each after tax for the initial run of shows, and they’ve partnered with Levi’s, Amazon and Urban Outfitters on a new merchandise run. Sales and streams of their back catalog, namely debut album Definitely Maybe , are rising rapidly .
It must have proved a timely opportunity to get Noel on board. He and Sara McDonald, whom he married in 2011, filed for divorce in Jan. 2023. He’s also discussed next year being the earliest opportunity for him to consider selling the publishing rights to his back catalog. The master rights to the band’s material (including hits like “Wonderwall” and “Don’t Look Back In Anger”) are set to revert back to him in 2025.
New Album?
The Gallaghers putting animosity aside and getting back in the studio may seem unlikely, but stranger things have happened. Fans have noted that Liam had been sharing cryptic clues regarding the band’s reunion for months on his X profile. In July, one fan asked what he was doing on that day with Liam replying “photo shoot,” now widely believed to be the comeback’s official photography shoot with brother Noel.
Back in April, another hopeful asked when the recording of a new Oasis album would begin. His response? “November.” Perhaps all the clues have been hiding in plain sight….
Here's What Liam Gallagher Responded to a Fan's Question About a New Oasis Album
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