In the list of rock bands considered least likely to bury their hatchets long enough to successfully reunite, the British group Oasis has always been near the very top. At its peak in the 1990s, Oasis — led by the brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher — exemplified the soaring appeal of Britpop, with anthemic hits like “Wonderwall,” “Live Forever” and “Champagne Supernova” that could produce mass singalongs in any pub or arena. In 1994, the group’s debut, “Definitely Maybe,” rocketed to the top of the British pop chart and became a zeitgeist-defining moment for a new wave of English rock. But the band kept crashing down to earth, largely through the fisticuffs — verbal and physical — of the Gallagher brothers. In 1995, a 14-minute unofficial CD was released of Noel and Liam getting sidetracked during a journalist’s interview to bicker with each other, loudly and ruthlessly if not quite comprehensibly.
The band split up in 2009 — “I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer,” Noel said at the time — and over the years the Gallaghers have continued to lob public insults at each other. Now they seem to have reconciled sufficiently to announce a comeback tour in summer 2025, which is to include shows throughout Britain and Ireland, including at least four nights at Wembley Stadium in London. The band announced the tour on its website. In a statement, the band said plans were underway for dates on “other continents outside of Europe later next year.”
“The great wait is over,” the statement added: “Come see.” The announcement was no surprise. Over the weekend, Oasis posted Tuesday’s date on its website and social media accounts, after days of gossip on social media and detailed reporting from anonymous “industry insiders” in the British news media about an imminent tour announcement. Liam Gallagher himself boosted those rumors. When one fan said he was “scared” about the news to come, Liam answered, “Your scared how do you think I feel.” Streams of the band’s catalog spiked in anticipation.
A Long and Winding Road to Reunion
Oasis split in 2009, when Noel Gallagher quit the band because he “simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer.” Noel had left in the past after fights with Liam, sometimes onstage, but this one stuck. In 2011, Liam sued Noel for libel, and few murmurs of reunion surfaced until 2017, when Liam and Noel were said to be reuniting at a benefit concert, in Manchester, for the victims of the Ariana Grande concert bombing. In the end, Noel skipped the show, then another rumored appearance at Grande’s One Love Manchester benefit concert. Liam apologized for his brother’s absence. “Noels out of the fucking country,” he wrote. “weren’t we all love get on a fucking plane and play your tunes for the kids you sad fuck.”
In 2020, Liam urged Noel to reunite for charity when the COVID-19 pandemic ended, but his brother again deferred. Noel was fronting Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, whose latest album is 2023’s Council Skies. Liam had been fronting the band Beady Eye, but they split in 2014. His own solo career began in earnest with the 2017 album As You Were; his latest is 2022’s C’mon You Know.
A Britpop Comeback
The announcement of the reunion tour, with shows in Cardiff, Manchester, London, Edinburgh, and Dublin, was met with widespread excitement and relief from fans, many of whom thought they would never get to see the band play live again. While the band has been hinting at a reunion for years, their confirmation has brought about a wave of nostalgia for their music and the era it represents. “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised,” the band stated in their official announcement, signaling a new chapter for Oasis and a moment of reconciliation for the Gallagher brothers.
What’s Next for Oasis?
The tour announcement has sparked speculation about what the future holds for Oasis, with some fans wondering if this is just a one-off event or if the band is planning to record new music or even embark on a longer-term reunion. The band has said that they are planning dates “on other continents outside of Europe later next year,” which suggests that a North American tour is likely. However, the brothers have been known for their unpredictable nature, so only time will tell what the future holds for Oasis.
The band’s reunion comes at a time when there is a growing appetite for nostalgia and classic rock. Bands such as Blur and The Stone Roses have recently reunited to great success, and it is clear that there is a large audience eager to see these bands live again. Oasis, with their iconic anthems and passionate fanbase, is sure to be no exception.
