Think you know Oasis? Read these facts first!
Stop crying your heart out Oasis fans, the reunion has arrived!
The moment that once felt half the world away has finally arrived, as Oasis took to the stage for the first time in 16 years in Cardiff on 4 July 2025.
Oasis are one of Manchester's most famous exports, some might saythe most famous, but what's the story when it comes to the Britpop brothers? Well, don't go away, and we'll give you the lowdown on all there is to know!
1. When did Oasis first form?
Oasis was first formed in 1991, under the name The Rain, by bassist Paul McGuigan, drummer Tony McCarroll and guitarist Paul Arthurs (otherwise known as 'Bonehead', of 'Bonehead's Bank Holiday' fame). The lead singer at the time was Chris Hutton, but when Arthurs felt his performance was unsatisfactory, he auditioned and recruited a new lead singer - Liam Gallagher!
Liam came in at 18, with vocals inspired by John Lennon and Johnny Rotten, as well as the idea for a new name, Oasis!
This very first Oasis gig took place on 14 August 1991, with the band taking to stage at Manchester's Boardwalk club. Eventually, after seeing the band perform live, Liam's brother Noel agreed to join, taking on the role of lead songwriter and band 'leader'.
2. Who was part of the Oasis line-up?
The Oasis line-up has changed a lot over the years, with new members coming in while older members slide away. For the band's original album, Definitely Maybe, the group consisted of Noel Gallagher, Liam Gallagher, Paul 'Bonehead' Arthurs, Paul McGuigan and Tony McCarroll.
Ahead of their second album, (What's the Story?) Morning Glory, McCarroll was replaced by drummer Alan White.
The band's current line up consists of Liam and Noel Gallagher (reuniting after 16 years apart), Arthurs, Andy Bell and drummer Joey Waronker, who previously toured with Liam.
3. Do Oasis have children?
So we know who's part of the band, but what about the heirs to the Britpop throne?
Liam has four children, Gemma, Gene, Lennon and Molly Moorish-Gallagher (who he was estranged from for a time).
Noel has three children, Anais, Donovan and Sonny.
Anais, Noel's eldest, is a model, photographer and has a large following on social media. In the past year, Anais has made a concerted effort to make sure that young, female Oasis fans feel included and welcome on the band's reunion tour, as well as providing some behind the scenes content.
Gene, Liam's son, seems to follow in the family's musical footsteps, playing as part of his own band and even joining his father on stage from time to time.
4. What was Oasis' biggest hit?
Following the release of Definitely Maybe, in 1994, Oasis went supersonic, instantly hailed as new rock 'n' roll stars and Britpop icons. They spent the 90s battling it out with fellow Britpop band Blur, led by frontman Damon Albarn, in a north vs south (Blur hail from London) showdown that dominated the charts and the airwaves.
The two groups famously faced off in a 1995 chart war dubbed 'the battle of Britpop', with both bands releasing a single on the same day. In the end, Blur's 'Country House' triumphed, totting up 274,000 copies sold to Oasis' 216,000 for 'Roll With It'. The two bands have since buried the hatchet, with Noel Gallagher and Damon Albarn even considering each another friends and collaborators.
Oasis biggest UK hit to date is 'Wonderwall' which, despite never becoming a UK number one, has been streamed more than 3 billion times on Spotify, and viewed over 1 billion times on YouTube. It currently stands at 34th place on the list of the best selling songs of all time in the UK, according to the Official Charts.
Rounding out the top five most streamed Oasis tunes in the UK are Don't Look Back in Anger, Champagne Supernova, Live Forever and Half The World Away.
5. Why did Oasis break up?
Well, frankly, it depends who you ask!
Both Noel and Liam Gallagher have been asked about the break up time and again, each giving answers that slightly contradict the other.
The generally accepted course of events, is that relations between the two had broken down little by little over the years, with each unable to acquiesce to the other's attitude and way of working.
There were murmurings of verbal insults as well as physical conflict, including rumours that one brother had attacked the other using a guitar. These disagreements came to a head in 2009, with Noel announcing that he was going to leave the band, saying that he couldn't work with Liam a day longer.
6. What did Liam and Noel do after Oasis broke up?
After going their separate ways in 2009, both brothers continued to make and release music.
Liam and the remaining members of Oasis formed Beady Eye in 2009, after Noel had departed, releasing two albums in 2011 and 2013 respectively. Beady Eye disbanded in 2014, with Liam going on to pursue a career as a solo artist.
Noel started his own solo project, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, in 2010, releasing 4 studio albums over 13 years. Much like Beady Eye, High Flying Birds also consisted of some former Oasis members, amongst other performers.
Despite their successful solo careers, fans never stopped speculating about the pair reuniting and reforming Oasis for another go around. While both were initially cold to the prospect, their responses to questions about the reunion seemed to soften over the years, leading to…
7. When did Oasis get back together?
After 15 years of fans pleading and praying for a reunion, Oasis officially announced their return on 27 August 2024. Confirming rumours of a 2025 tour, including shows in London, Cardiff and their home city of Manchester, amongst other venues.
Tickets for their UK shows sold out in a matter of hours, with the band's initial statement making clear: "It will not be televised."
Further dates were subsequently announced, including additional Wembley dates as well as performances all around the world. Some fans felt aggrieved by pricing, some were willing to pay whatever it took, but all were united in one gleeful thought:
Oasis. Are. Back.
8. Where are Oasis going on Tour?
Oasis 2025 reunion tour kicked off in Cardiff on 4 July 2025, with further dates to come at venues all over the globe.
The band played a second night in Wales, on 5 July 2025, ahead of their Manchester homecoming - with five shows at Heaton Park on 11, 12, 16, 19 and 20 July.
The group will then play an additional five shows in London, all taking place at Wembley stadium, on 25, 26, 30 July and 2, 3 August. They will close out the initial UK leg of the tour in Edinburgh, Scotland on 8, 9 and 12 August.
They'll then perform two shows at Croke Park, Dublin on 16 and 17 August, before jetting off on the international leg of the tour.
Oasis will perform in Toronto, Chicago, New Jersey, Pasadena, Mexico City, Goyang, Tokyo, Melbourne, Sydney, Buenos Aires, Santiago and São Paulo - with a brief return to England in the midst of it all, for two additional Wembley shows on 27 and 28 September.
The tour will officially come to a close on 23 November 2025 in São Paulo, Brazil.
What's the future of Oasis after that? Who's to say, we'll just have to roll with it!
9. What is the set list for the Oasis tour?
While set lists are always open to change, with many artists preferring to switch things up from venue to venue, this is the set list Oasis played in their first two shows at Cardiff's Principality Stadium:
- Hello
- Acquiesce
- Morning Glory
- Some Might Say
- Bring It on Down
- Cigarettes & Alcohol
- Fade Away
- Supersonic
- Roll With It
- Talk Tonight
- Half the World Away
- Little By Little
- D’You Know What I Mean?
- Stand By Me
- Cast No Shadow
- Slide Away
- Whatever
- Live Forever
- Rock 'n' Roll Star
Encore:
- The Masterplan
- Don’t Look Back in Anger
- Wonderwall
- Champagne Supernova
