It was a moment that many thought might never arrive: the Gallagher brothers, once the tempestuous heart of Britpop icons Oasis, standing side by side on stage, guitars in hand and grins on their faces. On July 4, 2025, Cardiff’s Principality Stadium became the unlikely setting for one of rock’s most anticipated reunions, as Oasis launched their first tour in 16 years. The crowd’s roar was deafening, but for Noel Gallagher, the band’s principal songwriter and guitarist, the experience was almost surreal.
Speaking to TalkSport’s Andy Goldstein on Tuesday, August 19, Noel was candid about his emotions. “Yeah, completely blown away. Everyone is. It’s difficult to put it into words actually,” he said, reflecting on the tidal wave of enthusiasm that greeted Oasis’ return. The band’s comeback, dubbed the Oasis Live ’25 tour, has been met with rapturous acclaim at every stop, from the opening night in Cardiff to three consecutive sold-out shows in Dublin that closed out the UK and Ireland leg just days earlier.
Noel’s honesty about the reunion’s impact was striking. “I grossly underestimated what I was getting into,” he admitted. “After about five minutes, I was like, alright, can I just go back to the dressing room and start this again? I’ve done stadiums before and all that, but I don’t mind telling you, my legs turned to jelly after about halfway through the second song.” For a man known for his sharp wit and unflappable stage presence, such vulnerability was unexpected—and, perhaps, part of what made the moment so powerful for both the band and their fans.
The emotional charge wasn’t limited to Noel. At the Cardiff debut, he and his brother Liam—whose public feuding once seemed to have ended Oasis for good—emerged hand in hand, a gesture that sent shockwaves through the crowd and the music press. While Noel downplayed the sentimentality (“We’re not those kind of guys,” he quipped), he did concede, “I guess when it’s all said and done we’ll sit and reflect on it, but it’s great being back in a band with Liam. I forgot how fun he was.”
For many, Liam Gallagher’s swaggering stage persona and distinctive vocals are synonymous with Oasis’ sound. Even Noel, never one to lavish praise lightly, acknowledged his younger brother’s prowess. “Liam’s smashing it, I’m proud of him,” Noel said. “Having been fronting a band for 16 years, I know how hard that is. I couldn’t do the stadium thing like he does it, it’s not in my nature, but I’ve got to say, good for you, mate. He’s been amazing.” He even joked that Liam’s much-praised vocals were the result of artificial intelligence, before quickly reiterating his genuine admiration.
As the tour has rolled on, the sense of camaraderie among the band’s core members has been palpable. Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs, the group’s original rhythm guitarist, has also returned to the fold. “It’s great just to be back with Bonehead and Liam, and just be doing it again,” Noel remarked. “I’d forgotten how funny [Liam] was.” For fans who have followed the brothers’ ups and downs over the decades, these moments of lightness and mutual respect have been as meaningful as the music itself.
The scale of the Oasis Live ’25 tour is nothing short of monumental. After wrapping their homecoming gigs in the UK and Ireland, the band is set to embark on a whirlwind journey across North America, with nine shows scheduled in the US, Canada, and Mexico. A triumphant return to London’s Wembley Stadium awaits in September, before the group heads to Asia, Australia, and South America. The tour is slated to conclude in November 2025, though rumors of an extension—and even a possible return to Knebworth, the site of their legendary 1996 concerts—have already begun to swirl. True to form, Noel played coy when pressed about future plans, deftly changing the subject to football.
For all the spectacle and nostalgia, the reunion has also been a personal reckoning for Noel. “Every night is the crowd’s first night, do you know what I mean? So every night’s got that same energy to it. But it’s been truly amazing. I’m not usually short for words, but I can’t really articulate it,” he confessed. The physical and emotional demands of the tour, he admitted, took him by surprise. “I grossly underestimated what I was getting into… I could have done with going back and taking a minute. It’s been an amazing thing, it really is an amazing thing.”
While the Oasis story has always been as much about the personalities as the music, the Live ’25 tour has highlighted the enduring power of the songs themselves. Tracks like “Wonderwall,” “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” and “Champagne Supernova” have lost none of their anthemic pull, with audiences singing along as if the intervening years had never happened. For younger fans—many of whom were barely born when Oasis last played together—the shows have offered a rare chance to witness the band’s magic firsthand.
Yet, for all the nostalgia, there’s a sense that the Gallagher brothers are also looking forward. Noel, for one, expressed particular excitement about the band’s upcoming date in Buenos Aires, calling Argentina “without doubt in the top five places for us to play in the world.” Such anticipation suggests that, despite the band’s tumultuous history, there’s still plenty of fuel left in the Oasis tank.
Of course, the question on everyone’s mind is whether this reunion marks a new era for Oasis or merely a fleeting moment of reconciliation. When asked about the possibility of further shows or even new music, Noel remained noncommittal. “Right, let’s talk about football,” he said with a laugh, leaving the door open just a crack—and fans hungry for more.
For now, though, the Oasis Live ’25 tour stands as a testament to the enduring appeal of one of Britain’s most influential bands. As the brothers Gallagher once again share a stage, the energy, humor, and unmistakable chemistry that defined Oasis are back in full force, reminding the world why their music continues to resonate across generations.
Sometimes, the best comebacks are the ones you never saw coming—even if, deep down, you always hoped for them.
