Politicians and business leaders welcome economic boost from Oasis Cardiff gigs

Politicians and business leaders have welcomed the announcement that Oasis will be playing two comeback concerts in Cardiff next year.

The band will launch their return in the Welsh Capital with shows at the Principality Stadium on Friday, 4 July and Saturday, 5 July, before further gigs in Manchester, London and Edinburgh.

The band split nearly 15 years ago and released the chart-topping album Definitely Maybe around three decades ago.

Reunion rumours had intensified recently after reports that the feuding Gallagher brothers were ending their fall out.

During a show in Cardiff earlier this summer, Liam made a point of dedicating Half The World Away to his “little brother”, saying he was “still playing hard to get”.

The 51-year-old songwriter also played Oasis hits during his headline performance at Leeds Festival on Friday night – where he teased today’s announcement.

Noel, who fronts the group Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, recently paid Liam a string of compliments in an interview released last week with music journalist John Robb at Manchester’s Sifters Records in honour of Definitely Maybe’s 30th anniversary.

Economic boost

Reacting to news of the Cardiff gigs, a Welsh Government spokeswoman said: “It’s great news that Oasis will be kick-starting their comeback in Cardiff.

“They’ll be joining a long list of world-renowned artists who have chosen to play in our capital in recent years, along the likes of Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Coldplay, Beyonce and many others.

“With the Principality Stadium’s reputation for hosting world class events, the concert are set to attract thousands of visitors, which will provide a substantial economic boost to our hospitality, retail and transport businesses, bringing in millions and helping transform the local economy.”

Councillor Huw Thomas, leader of Cardiff Council said: “Like many from my generation, I’m hugely excited that Oasis are reforming, and the news that their reunion tour kicks off in Cardiff really is the cherry on top.

“Following recent shows by Taylor Swift, Foo Fighters, Beyonce and a whole host of other big names, some might say that Cardiff is fast becoming a ‘must play’ destination for the world’s biggest music stars.

“The electric atmosphere in and around the Principality Stadium will already be familiar to millions, as these huge gigs put Cardiff firmly on the map and draw visitors from across the world.

“With figures from UK Music showing that last year, music tourists visiting Wales spent £276 million, they also provide a real boost to the city’s economy, underlining our masterplan to make Cardiff a world class city for music.”

Buzzing

Carolyn Brownell, FOR Cardiff’s executive director, said: “Cardiff is buzzing with excitement to host the first of Oasis’s historic comeback shows, with two dates scheduled for the start of July 2025.

“The Principality Stadium is the perfect venue to host events of this size with a sell-out capacity of around 67,000, and its city centre location meaning all the capital’s bars, restaurants, cafes and wider hospitality businesses are right on the doorstep to give visitors the best gig experience.

“Recent data from Beauclair Ltd showed the outstanding impact Taylor Swift’s Eras tour had on spending in Cardiff. Businesses across all sectors saw an uplift in spending on the day of Taylor Swift’s appearance, with an increase of 26% overall compared to the same day last year.

“The most striking find is the enormous increase in tourism spending in Cardiff, with a 902% increase compared with the same day 2023.

“We look forward to welcoming Noel, Liam and the rest of the band to Wales and supporting businesses to make the most of this opportunity.”

Tickets

Tickets for the UK tour dates will go on sale on Saturday 31 August 31 from 9am BST (British Summer Time) from www.ticketmaster.co.uk, www.gigsandtours.com and www.seetickets.com.

Organisers have recommended that fans should sign up to official ticket agents ahead of time as websites will be very busy when tickets go on sale.

There is a limit of four tickets per household, per show. Organisers say only tickets bought through approved agents will be valid.

Fans who can no longer attend the shows will be able to resell their tickets via Twickets or Ticketmaster Fan-to-Fan.

Organisers say fans should only use official resale platforms.

Ticket resales will be allowed at no more than the price that was paid – its face value plus booking fees.

Fans are being warned that selling tickets through unauthorised resale platforms will breach the terms and conditions and tickets may be cancelled.

People can also run the risk of being scammed by going through unofficial routes.

Scammers will piggyback onto popular events and earlier this year, Lloyds Bank estimated that fans of Taylor Swift had lost more than £1 million to ticket scammers ahead of her UK tour.