Ronan O'BrienThe long awaited Oasis reunion has been the highly coveted live show of the decade. Tickets were like gold dust and I was among the lucky few thousand fortunate enough to experience one of the greatest bands of all time on their comeback.
The Gallagher Brothers
Oasis are a band that need no introduction. Brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher are household names, all due to their successes with Oasis. Formed in the early 1990’s, the original lineup consisted of the Gallaghers alongside Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs, Paul ‘Guigsy’ McGuigan and Tony McCarroll. I could write an essay on how the band formed, but it’s better to hear from the band themselves in the documentary Supersonic.
From the release of the band’s first studio album, Definitely Maybe, the Britpop craze spread like wildfire. The album debuted at number 1 in the charts and became the fastest-selling album in the UK at the time. The follow-up, (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? further propelled them to superstardom. The peak of their success was their attraction of over 125,000 people to their performance at Knebworth in 1996. Further successes followed with subsequent albums like Be Here Now, but the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle become too much to handle for the brothers’ relationship.
The band inevitably split in 2009, with the constant arguments and physical altercations between the brothers becoming too much for Noel. Both Liam and Noel formed new bands, Beady Eye and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds respectively, but neither could reach the same kind of success they enjoyed as Oasis.
Although the brothers had separate projects, they were far from done with each other. The feud continued throughout the 2010s with the two not being on speaking terms and constantly throwing digs at each other. From Liam criticising Noel’s new band (“The High Flying Turds”) and calling him a potato, to Noel referring to Liam as “Puss in Boots” and “a man with a fork in a world of soup”, the possibility of the brothers making amends seemed highly unlikely.
The Reunion
Since the split in 2009, there have always been rumours of an Oasis reunion. These came strongly in 2015, after Liam’s divorce from Nicole Appleton inflicted financial pressures on him but were soon ignored by Noel. Noel then found himself at the end of costly divorce proceedings from Sara MacDonald in 2023, which further stoked rumours over a possible reunion.
These rumours came to fruition in August 2024, where tour dates were announced on both brother’s social media accounts, as well as the band’s official website. The slogan, “This is happening!”, encapsulated the reaction most fans had to the surrealism of the announcement. Outside of the frenzied excitement the general public had over the news, there were still doubts. Many saw it as a cash grab, and refused to believe the brothers had actually made amends. But it was soon evident to see the truth, that they were on good terms again, and Oasis were back at last.
The tour began in Cardiff on the 4th of July 2025, with the anticipated final show to be held in São Paulo on the 23rd of November. The lineup consisted of the Gallagher brothers, along with original rhythm guitarist Bonehead joining them. Gem Archer was recruited on guitar, with bassist Andy Bell and drummer Joey Waronker completing the rhythm section. Tickets were priced highly, but became a rarity due to the phenomenal demand to see the band live. For many, it would be the first and perhaps only time they could catch a glimpse of the most successful band of the 1990’s in the flesh.
Dublin’s Electric
The band were scheduled to play in Dublin on the only Irish leg of the tour on the 16th and 17th of August. Croke Park was the designated venue, and there was no other place a band of their magnitude could feasibly play. And for good reason too, as both shows saw a completely sold-out venue, attracting more than 160,000 people in total. For myself, I was incredibly lucky to have secured tickets for the Sunday night. And what a night it was.
The atmosphere around Dublin that day was electric. You often hear people talking about “a great buzz around the area” and I never quite understood what that actually meant until that day. It felt like every person in the city knew Oasis were in town, even those with no interest in the music. The walk from Phibsborough to Drumcondra had large scatterings of people in bucket hats and Oasis x Adidas t-shirts. Every pub in the vicinity was full, with Oasis songs blaring at full volume.
From bar staff to taxi men, bootleg merchandisers to security staff, everybody was in good form. It probably helped that the sun was shining but the fact that Oasis were back generated that good feeling. After a couple of pre-show drinks, I headed to Croke Park via the Davin Stand. Up a few flights of stairs, I found my seat and sat back, brimming with excitement.
Cast
Around 6pm, the first opener came on stage. A band that was completely new to me, Cast have been around since 1992. Not long into the first song, I understood completely why they were supporting Oasis. The Liverpudlians had a sound so similar to that of Oasis, it was like being transported back into the 90’s. Frontman John Power had a Waterford flag draped across one of the many guitar amps on stage, dedicating a song to his late father who hailed from The Déise.
The band sounded great, they are definitely a deep-cut from the Britpop era. Opening with strong guitar riffs in songs like “Sandstorm” and “Fine Time”, they had the stadium nicely warmed up. Swapping electric for acoustic guitar, some softer songs like “Live The Dream” and “Walkaway” were received warmly. The band were excited to be playing with Oasis, and advertised their October 2025 shows in Dublin. Launching into an incredible performance of “Alright”, the band gave a bow and departed.
Richard Ashcroft
7pm quickly rolled around, and Richard Ashcroft was welcomed to the stage. Still looking like a prime 90’s rockstar, he opened with some deeper hits from Urban Hymns like “Weeping Willow” and “Space And Time”. His guitar sounded immense, the tone was absolutely beautiful, as were his vocals. Constantly reiterating his thankfulness to Oasis, he served his role as an opener absolutely superbly.
Some other deep cuts followed, and a fantastic rendition of “Lucky Man” had me singing loud. He prefaced “The Drugs Don’t Work” in his usual fashion, dedicating it to someone unknown before delivering an incredibly emotional performance of the track. He talked about his love of Ireland, and announced he is hoping to be back in the near future, hoping we will join him.
The anticipation was growing, and he responded to it, announcing “This one is called Bittersweet Symphony”. Once those strings started, the stadium was on its feet. The song seemed endless, but I didn’t mind. One of the most iconic instrumentals of the 90s providing the backdrop to Richard Ashcroft downing a pint of Guinness in one go really made it special. Following the applause, he bowed and departed, and the excitement was building immensely for what was about to come.
Oasis
After 8pm, the excitement was growing in the stadium. The place was full; over 80,000 fans waiting for the main act to appear. Luke Kelly’s cover of “The Auld Triangle“ played loudly over the P.A. but was almost drowned out completely by the crowd singing along. To a resounding applause, the band entered the stage at the end of the song. Liam and Noel emerged, holding hands, raised in the air. Liam sporting his parka and both men in sunglasses, looking delighted to be there.
The opening track was perfectly chosen as “Hello” and from the offset, the sound was immense. Liam’s vocals echoed through the stadium, sounding better than ever. The refrain, “It’s good to be back / It’s good to be back” was such a brilliant inclusion for the moment. Another aptly chosen song followed in “Acquiesce”, with Noel taking the chorus. Once again, the lyrics reflected the situation so fittingly, “Because we need each other / We believe in one another”.
The setlist was like a best hits album, “Morning Glory” preceded “Some Might Say”. The energy was unyielding, as were Liam’s vocals and Noel’s guitar. Everything was on point and faultless. Only a couple of songs in, I could feel my voice going as a result of shouting every lyric alongside 80,000 others. The sound was so powerful and could be heard from far corners of the city. Another couple of thousand people outside the stadium were experiencing the full force of the sound, joyfully singing along.
The Poznań
Liam’s first request of the night was that everybody turned away from the stage and put their arms around the people next to them. Understanding the assignment completely, the crowd bounced á la The Poznań to the intro of “Cigarettes and Alcohol”. Liam then asked for those from Mayo to make themselves known, which was met with loud cheers. He dedicated “Fade Away” to the people of Mayo, especially Charlestown, where their mother Peggy hails.
The ever-familiar intro of “Supersonic” was again met with loud cheers, which was then followed by “Roll With It”. One gripe I did have was the usual “Olé olé olé” chants, which seem to be a common fixture at Irish gigs. But it didn’t spoil the mood too much. Liam departed stage, citing his “princess treatment”, leaving Noel at the helm. They shared a hug on his way off, Liam squeezing Noel’s rear with both hands.
Noel’s Tracks
A common feature of Oasis gigs was always Noel performing some solo tracks. And deservedly so, he was the principal songwriter of the group. His performance of “Talk Tonight” was beautiful, and clearly emotional as he had visible tears in his eyes while singing.
He then advised his next song was dedicated to the Royal Family, which, of course, was met with intense boos and disgust from the crowd. Shooing away the uproar, he said “Not that Royal Family”, referring to The Royle Family. The song he was referring to was “Half the World Away”, which the show used as the theme song.
Another beautiful performance was then followed by “Little by Little”, where his vocals were magnificent. Both brothers have incredible vocals, in totally different styles. These seemed to have been honed to perfection for this tour, as they have never sounded as good. Liam soon reappeared, ready for another round.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Stars
Back with his hood up, Liam unleashed pure rock ‘n’ roll energy on the crowd, beginning with “D’You Know What I Mean?”. He dedicated “Stand by Me” to their mother, Peggy, who was present on the night. Jokingly, he said “She’s had knee surgery so she can’t stand by me”. The vocal duties were shared between the brothers for the final run of songs, with Noel leading “Cast No Shadow” before Liam assumed duties again with “Slide Away”.
The final sprint of songs included “Whatever”, “Live Forever” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star” which had the place absolutely bouncing. The energy from the band and the crowd was ceaseless; it had been nearly an hour and a half of constant playing and it was like they were still in their first couple of songs. A huge round of applause saw the band depart the stage, but there was always going to be an encore. It’s stupid really, but these fake departures into an encore are the normality in modern performances.
Encore
Noel emerged with the backing line and introduced every member. “The man who needs no introduction”, Bonehead, received the largest applause. This was followed by another beautiful performance, this time of “The Masterplan” which brought the energy down a bit. But not for long, as the “Imagine“ rip-off piano piece began. “Don’t Look Back in Anger” was met with some of the loudest crowd response of the night. The echoes of “So Sally can wait” were probably heard for miles. It was surreal.
Liam swaggered back onto stage afterwards, laughingly saying “Good old Wonderwall” before launching into the song. One of my least favourite Oasis tracks, but I was still singing at the top of my lungs. With much appreciation from the band, the final track of the night was “Champagne Supernova” which was followed by an impressive number of fireworks, making it an extraordinary spectacle.
Final Thoughts
Words cannot fully explain how good the gig was. From the crowd to the venue, the openers to the main event, it was surreal in a way. The sound was probably the best I have ever experienced at a live performance, and the energy matched. It did not matter where you were in the stadium, the views and sound was immense. Even those outside the stadium still got to experience this once in a lifetime performance.
Although it may have been seen as a cash grab, it was evident pretty quickly that this was not the case. They were genuinely enjoying playing together again, and those feelings were made clear. Whatever happened is now buried in the past, and the lads showed why they generate the kind of buzz I experienced in Dubin that day.
Oasis are rumoured to play Slane Castle next year, as well as a return to Knebworth. If this is true, tickets will once again be hard to come by. And for good reason. They are living giants of rock ‘n’ roll and few, if anyone, can match that performance.
