After 15 years apart, Oasis have finally confirmed their long-rumoured reunion. The announcement has been met with unprecedented demand for tickets, with the band already announcing extra dates before the tour has even gone on sale.

The comeback is more than a 90s nostalgia trip, it has the potential to generate a significant impact on the experience economy. Yet while hotels are hiking up prices, cashing in and exploiting eagerly awaiting fans, brands need to tread carefully if they wish to engage in the hype authentically.

As industry experts gear up to leverage this moment, industry experts share new benchmarks for how music events can amplify brand reach and engagement in today’s economy.

First The Spice Girls and Girls Aloud. Now it's the turn of Noel and Liam to get the band back on the road again. And there have already been more "definitely maybe" puns on news broadcasts than I thought possible. Even the Racing Post celebrated by running a news story entitled "Oasis mania! Ten horses with a connection to the legendary returning band".

So, if the hype so far is anything to go by, every city where they play will see a significantly positive impact to their local economy. Sacha Lord, night time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, has already estimated that Oasis’ return to their hometown would boost the city’s economy by more than £15m. Not quite the impact of Taylor Swift apparently pushing up inflation all by herself as cited by Deutsche Bank, but a significant boost nonetheless.

The Oasis reunion tour isn’t merely a comeback—it holds the potential to redefine the concept of a stadium rock tour in an era where fan cravings go beyond nostalgia. The opportunity for Oasis lies not just in revisiting their iconic back-catalogue, but in revolutionising how live music is delivered to a diverse, multigenerational audience, all while preserving the raw essence of the Gallagher brothers’ brand. However, therein lies the challenge of reconciliation. It’s likely that Oasis will resist any attempt to reinvent live music; after all, they have long championed the belief that the simple, time-tested formula—great songs performed with the right attitude—is all that’s required.

There is a broad expectation however that this tour will devolve into a nostalgia fest or, worse, a tired rehash of former glories. Yet, if approached with care, it presents a unique opportunity for the brothers to forge meaningful engagements that extend beyond the in-stadium experience. The critical question is how this can be achieved in a manner that is both inclusive and authentic. Oasis has always taken pride in adhering to the unwritten rules of rock ‘n’ roll—never selling out and keeping it all about the music. Perhaps this is the angle to pursue; an experiential exploration of what these rules mean for audiences today, where the band can create spaces and experiences both on and offline for fans to momentarily escape, and summon the spirit of their seminal anthem, “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star?”

With a clear plan and the same rebellious attitude that defined Oasis in the 1990s, this tour presents a rare chance to recreate that world in an era starved of authentic voices, where TikTok and Instagram personas dominate our collective consciousness.

Oasis’ reunion is fundamentally driven by nostalgia and adoration for a culturally iconic and musically prolific Britpop band. Often referred to as “Indie music for lads”, Oasis’ style and unapologetic attitude resonated with a rebellious audience, many of which are now in their 40s. While this demographic may skew older, there is no indication that Oasis plans to market their reunion as family events, nor do they need to. Ticket demand has already reached unprecedented levels, even before the official pre-sale, demonstrating that Oasis doesn’t need to shift their approach to attract a broader, more family-orientated crowd. By staying true to their core identity – a mix of grumpy and good-time rockers – they continue to captivate the audience that propelled them to fame in the first place.

The essence of a reunion tour is to provide fans with the chance to relive the magic of their favourite band live. Oasis has made no public declarations about releasing new music, and they have no obligation to frame this as anything other than what it is: a reunion, not a comeback. Meanwhile, the band’s Spotify streams have surged by 690% worldwide since the announcement, indicating that they’re reaching new audiences through digital platforms. However ,whether this new demographic has the deep-rooted love – or the financial willingness – to buy tickets remains uncertain.

Britpop nostalgia is evidently a hot commodity. Following Blur’s sold-out Wembley gigs in 2023, it’s clear that music lovers in Britain are willing to spend significant sums to be transported back to the late 90s and early 00s – a period many view as a carefree time. For Oasis, the allure of nostalgia coupled with their enduring fanbase presents a powerful economic opportunity that brands and advertisers will be eager to tap into.

The Oasis reunion exploded like a Champagne Supernova, manna from heaven for fans young and old who are quite frankly, mad for it. For the event pros and brands looking to ride this wave, there’s a lesson here: nostalgia sells, and not just to the hard-core originals desperate to relive the glory days of youth before their creaking knees (we see you Liam!) give out. While the early fans will be dusting off their parkas, or perhaps treating themselves to a larger size plucked from the Pretty Green catalogue, there’s also a whole new crowd – too young the first-time round – who are yearning for a slice of that Britpop magic they missed. Who knew the swaggering Mancs were destined to become all-round family entertainment?

And what a gift for the media mavens and editors of a certain age – they’ll be able to brush aside covering TikTok trends like Brat Girl Summer and being demure and cutesy that their kids all love and actually get fully behind a band that they know and love. A step back in time, and as Liam would say, ‘As you Were’.  Given that they were at their peak in the analogue era, the reunited Gallagher brothers smashed the social media build up – from cheeky leaks to cryptic social media posts with a simple “28.04.24”. It’s a playbook on how to whip-up excitement and get everyone from grumpy rockers to bright-eyed newbies on board. Whether you get a golden ticket or not, the Oasis-mania ecosystem is going to be huge. Records will be broken. Millions will be made.  For everyone involved, it’s simple: keep it real, keep it rebellious and keep it going. There’s no ‘maybe’ about it. These are definitely, definitely going to be the events of 2025.