Photo by Ben Slowey
Liam Gallagher and Oasis - Soldier Field
Liam Gallagher takes the lead while Oasis performs at Soldier Field in Chicago (2025)
It was felt around the world when Oasis announced in 2024 that they would reunite for their first tour since 2009. The British rock superstars played their first U.S. show in 17 years at Soldier Field in Chicago on Thursday, August 28, filling the stadium with tens of thousands of excited fans. Thursday’s show was one of only five North American stops within the Oasis Live ‘25 tour—the first of which having been two nights in Toronto earlier in the week. Oasis had kicked off the tour in July with shows all over the U.K. followed by two August dates in Dublin.
Formed in Manchester in 1991, Oasis is comprised of co-lead vocalist Liam Gallagher, co-lead vocalist, lead guitarist and primary songwriter Noel Gallagher, rhythm guitarists Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs and Gem Archer and bassist Andy Bell. For the tour, Oasis has brought along drummer Joey Waronker, keyboardist Christian Madden, and wind players Steve Hamilton, Joe Auckland and Alastair White.
Oasis are pioneers of the 1990’s Britpop movement, which sought to breathe fresh air into British pop and rock music while taking influence from legendary bands of decades past like The Kinks, The Who, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Their 1994 debut album Definitely, Maybe was a fast-selling, groundbreaking critical and commercial success. Sophomore album (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? came out the following year and became the worldwide breakthrough for Oasis, producing some of their best-known songs like “Wonderwall,” “Don’t Look Back in Anger” and “Champagne Supernova.” After releasing seven more albums, Oasis disbanded in 2009, with the Gallagher brothers each pursuing solo careers.
30-Year Anniversary
Photo by Ben Slowey
Noel Gallagher and Oasis - Soldier Field
Noel Gallagher takes the lead while Oasis performs at Soldier Field in Chicago (2025)
As the 30-year anniversary of Definitely, Maybe approached, Oasis announced last year that they had reformed and would embark on tour in 2025. For their North American run of shows, Oasis is joined by Bowling Green, Kentucky-based alternative rockers Cage the Elephant, who opened Chicago’s show with a raucous, invigorating blast of garage and blues rock.
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The concert on Thursday began with an astounding video sequence of news clippings about the Oasis reformation, showing subsequent ticket surges and website crashes. The band then took the stage and kicked things off with “Hello,” the opening track of (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? followed by classics “Acquiesce” and “Morning Glory.” Donning his signature parka jacket, Liam Gallagher stood at the mic, hands behind his back, singing each song as sharp and electrifying as he always has. He remarked repeatedly how excited he and his mates were to be back in the States, complimenting the size and scale of Soldier Field, assuring the over-50,000 fans in front of him that Oasis loves them.
Beyond Liam’s lovably laddish words between songs, plenty other crowd-pleasing moments took place throughout the night, from Oasis dedicating “Bring It on Down” to the “glue sniffers” to riling up the stadium with “Cigarettes & Alcohol” to sneaking in a line from “Octopus’s Garden” by The Beatles into “Whatever.” About halfway into the set, Liam departed from stage to let his brother Noel take the lead on a number of songs, including “Talk Tonight” and “Half the World Away”—the second of which Noel dedicated to the Irish. Visuals on the massive LED walls surrounding the stage ranged from resplendent animations to photo collages to kaleidoscopic lights, peppered between close-up shots of each band member channeling the emotional punch of each tune.
Transcendent Anthem
Oasis finished the night’s set with transcendent anthem “Live Forever” and irresistible-to-jump-to banger “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star.” After an encore break, Oasis returned to perform two of Noel’s most timeless hits, “The Masterplan” and “Don’t Look Back in Anger.” They went into “Wonderwall” next, which ignited an ocean of phone lights across Soldier Field. The band concluded the night with “Champagne Supernova” against the backdrop of a vibrant sunset over the sea. Then a spectacular fireworks show ensued to drive home one simple, powerful fact—Oasis are back.
The band continues their North American 2025 tour with shows in New Jersey, California and Mexico City before returning to London in late September, then setting out for East Asia, Australia and South America in October and November.
