Oasis Returns: Cardiff's Principality Stadium Turns into Britpop Mecca
It’s been more than a decade and a half since Oasis stormed a stage, yet the band's reunion tour opened on 4 July 2025 at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium mixed raw nostalgia with wild anticipation. Tens of thousands packed into the venue for back-to-back shows on 4 and 5 July, a massive kickoff that left longtime fans pinching themselves. The band’s journey after their shattering 2009 split had looked irreparable, especially given the very public, sometimes chaotic war of words between brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher. But here they were—the same raw Manchester attitude, new production polish, and all eyes fixed on what set could possibly satisfy a crowd with 30 years of classics to pick from.
And it wasn’t just an Oasis-only night. Richard Ashcroft, known for shaping the Britpop era with The Verve, shared the bill, joined by Liverpool’s indie heroes Cast. The support choice set the tone: a full immersion in swaggering UK rock, both old and new. Outside the stadium, it was a frenzy: shirts from every Oasis era spotted by train stations, pubs and street corners swarming with fans reliving the nineties all over again.
Setlist Teasers, Sky-High Tickets, and a Movie in the Works
The Oasis reunion gig wasn’t simply another run through the hits. Whispers from the soundchecks and rehearsals hit social media lightning-fast. Word spread that the playlist spanned from those anthemic openers on 1994’s “Definitely Maybe” up to “Dig Out Your Soul,” their 2008 bookend before breaking up. For diehards, that meant every era—the punky lyricism of “Supersonic,” the megahit singalongs of “Wonderwall,” and the later, moodier sounds of “The Shock of the Lightning.” Setlist leaks sent fans into speculation frenzies, wondering which deep cuts or fan favorites might find their way back into the light.
But getting into Principality Stadium this time came with a price. While initial tickets vanished fast in the primary sale, resale sites like Stubhub and Vividseats popped up as a lifeline for anyone desperate to witness history—if you had the cash. Prices don’t come cheap, ranging from £193 for a view from the gods to a whopping £371 for premium spots. Platforms like Twickets and See Tickets flashed “sold out” signs, further fueling the ticket rush and the usual social media FOMO waves for those still hoping for a last-minute chance.
As rumors swirled about which songs would make the cut, another plot twist emerged: a film based on the Oasis story. Steven Knight, the creator behind the hit series “Peaky Blinders,” is reportedly working on a cinematic project to drop alongside the tour. The timing couldn’t be better—few rock bands have drama, breakups, and comeback arcs as dramatic and screen-ready as the Gallaghers.
Band logistics also changed behind the scenes. While sharp-eyed fans spotted Noel Gallagher traveling into Cardiff by train—music royalty commuting the everyday way—drummer Zak Starkey, once the heartbeat of Oasis’s later era, is onto adventures with new group Mantra of the Cosmos. The lineup tweaks haven’t dulled the shine for fans, though. Instead, the absence of longtime disputes on stage was louder than any drum fill—at least for now.
This two-night Cardiff spectacle isn’t a one-off. The tour is ready to sweep across the UK, then leap continents to the US, South Korea, Japan, Australia, and South America. For Oasis, it’s a high-wire act: balancing reconciliation with raw performance, nostalgia with new possibilities. For everyone watching—whether inside Principality Stadium or glued to their feeds—it’s a rare second act for a band that never really left the spotlight.
