Oasis played a massive homecoming show in Manchester last night (Friday July 11). Check out footage, photos and the full setlist below, along with everything that went down.
After kicking off their long-awaited ‘Live ’25’ tour in Cardiff last week, the reunited Liam and Noel Gallagher returned to Manchester after 16 years away, taking to the stage in front of a huge crowd of 80,000 fans for the first of five sold-out concerts at Heaton Park.
“This is the fucking place! This is it!” proclaimed Noel, who once again walked out arm in arm with his kid brother. “Oasis vibes in the area!” Liam added. “Manchester vibes in the area!”
Oasis at Manchester’s Heaton Park. CREDIT: Big Brother Recordings
The gig felt like the true opening night of the mammoth Live ’25 tour, with Oasis mania taking over every part of the city. Fans from far and wide had queued overnight to bag a good spot, the audience belted out ‘Live Forever’ hours before the Britpop icons performed (as captured by first support act Cast), and Heaton Park was treated to a big fireworks finale.
Taking the production level even further, the Heaton Park screens measured 84 metres by 12 metres – a full 20 metres bigger than those fans were wowed by in Wales. However, we only really felt the full force of the dazzling visuals when darkness finally fell.
On stage, Noel appeared more energetic and loose compared to in Cardiff – clearly comfortable with a few shows under his belt and before a hometown crowd. Liam’s commitment to the parka didn’t waver in the blistering heat and weather warning, with Noel sporting shades and a polo as the band greeted us with ‘Hello’. “10/10,” LG said of the Manchester crowd. “You’ve all got mad red heads, but you’re all still pulling it off.”
Liam Gallagher performs with Oasis at Manchester’s Heaton Park. CREDIT: Big Brother Recordings
A fan next to NME somehow got a tambourine past security, while another audience member’s T-shirt declared it to be “Britpop summer”, as flares went off for the first song of the evening. Later, LG demanded that we do the Poznan for a rowdy rendition of ‘Cigarettes & Alcohol’
“When the tune starts, you jump up and down – it’s fucking easy, man,” he explained. The crowd obliged, and lobbed pints in the air when the riff kicked in.
There were no changes at all the setlist from the first two shows, as some fans had hoped for, though the historic concert was peppered with various nods to Oasis’ hometown. A cardboard cutout of Man City’s Pep Guardiola stood behind Noel, and the real-life manager was in attendance.
LG dedicated ‘D’You Know What I Mean?’ to “the greatest manager of all time”, which drew a mixed reaction. “Who are you fucking booing?” The Chief asked in response. But whether blue or red, the vibe remained one of unity as Manchester’s prodigal sons hosted the comeback of all comebacks.
“This one’s for all the people from Burnage,” Liam said ahead of ‘Fade Away’, shouting out the district where he and Noel grew up. Elsewhere, Noel paid tribute to Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash before playing ‘Half The World Away’ – the acoustic theme tune to their beloved sitcom, The Royle Family.
He played the B-side ballad ‘Talk Tonight’ “for the ladies”, while Liam honoured support act “the one and only Richard Ashcroft” on ‘Cast No Shadow’. Next up, ‘Slide Away’ began with LG asking if there were “any love birds in the house”. The singer ended the particularly majestic rendition with a simple: “Nice one.”
Noel Gallagher performs with Oasis at Manchester’s Heaton Park. Oasis at Manchester’s Heaton Park. CREDIT: Big Brother Recordings
After ‘Whatever’ and ‘Live Forever’, Oasis ended the main set with ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Star’. “Right then, beautiful people. This is gonna be the last song,” Liam said, though no one was convinced. “I want to thank you all for sticking with us over the years. I know we’re hard fucking work. You wanna try being in a fucking band, mate.”
Noel introduced his bandmates for ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’, including “the man who started it all, Mr Bonehead” – after the guitarist was last week hailed as being responsible for the reunion. Here, there was the first slip-up in an otherwise slick performance: a fumble on the iconic piano intro.
“He fucking did that ’cause I didn’t give him a mention,” Noel joked. “That’s Christian on keyboards – he’s from the fucking Lake District.” Restarting the classic tune, he told us: “Now, Manchester – you know what this next song means to us all. So feel free to join in with the chorus.”
Before a communal chant of the chorus, and the biggest moment of the night, Noel added: “Sing it Manchester!”. By the time it wrapped up, Noel was visibly moved in a rare peak behind the shades.
Liam Gallagher performs with Oasis at Manchester’s Heaton Park. CREDIT: Big Brother Recordings
Liam then returned, telling fans: “I know I’m a cocky bastard, and I give it all that, but I fucking adore you all. You’re all fucking beautiful, and I don’t tell you enough. ‘Wonderwall’…”
The reunited Gallagher brothers appearing side-by-side on the screens, delivering the call-and-response, provided another touching and healing moment ahead of the epic, pyro-assisted closer ‘Champagne Supernova’.
Following the final bursts of pyro, the celebrations spilt out into Manchester City Centre. A pub blasted out ‘Supersonic’, a busker led a drunk karaoke rendition of ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’, and flyers were handed out for some Britpop club afterparties that no doubt kept Oasis mania going till the early hours.
Oasis return to Heaton Park to do it all again tonight (July 12), next Wednesday (16), Friday (18) and Saturday (19). Check out a range of footage from night one below, along with the full setlist.
‘Hello’
‘Acquiesce’
‘Morning Glory’
‘Some Might Say’
‘Bring It On Down’
‘Cigarettes & Alcohol’
‘Fade Away’
‘Supersonic’
‘Roll With It’
‘Talk Tonight’ (Noel lead vocals)
‘Half The World Away’ (Noel lead vocals)
‘Little By Little’ (Noel lead vocals)
‘D’You Know What I Mean?’
‘Stand By Me’
‘Cast No Shadow’
‘Slide Away’
‘Whatever’
‘Live Forever’
‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Star’
‘The Masterplan’ (Noel lead vocals)
‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ (Noel lead vocals)
‘Wonderwall’
‘Champagne Supernova’
After their five shows in Manchester, Oasis will play seven nights at London’s Wembley Stadium, and make stops in both Edinburgh and Dublin. From there, they will head to North America, South America, Australia, South Korea and Japan.
At the first of the band’s 2025 reunion shows, NME gave their performance in Cardiff a glowing five-star review: “After a ‘90s heyday and an often maligned post-millennium era, this is Oasis redesigned for the 21st Century.
“Playing before a pop-art-meets-psychedelia visual spectacular that never distracts but will look sick on a phone, they seem the quintessential stadium band playing the greatest hits of greatest hits.”
English (US) · 