In recent years, we have seen a resurgence of bands and groups that had either been inactive for a while or disbanded completely. Groups such as Oasis have had a featured spot in the headlines due to announcing their reunion tour which is set to begin in July of 2025. This came as a shock to everyone, as Oasis’ last performance together was in 2009. So, this raises the question of why the English rock band (among other groups), is coming back together for a reunion tour after over a decade of inactivity. Is it possible that a wave of nostalgia hit the band members, or did their funds from their last performance finally run out?
Reunion tours come with a publicity tour of their own, as we’ve seen with the announcement of the Oasis tour in August of 2024. Reunion tour announcements and a revival of the band and their achievements are inescapable in media, as every headline, article, and website hone in on this aspect of pop culture to keep up with the trends. This, in turn, creates more publicity for the group, their music, and their upcoming tour.
Oasis’ reunion tour announcement was incredibly nostalgic, especially for those who grew up in the ’90s in the UK, most of which are the parents of the recent generations who are likely to be on social media. Our parents are able to indulge in their ‘90s nostalgia by attending Oasis’ reunion tour. However, a whole new generation of Oasis fans has been created due to the media focus on them throughout the summer of 2024. From personal experiences, it is clear that the name “Oasis” was known to many of my generation, and the announcement of the revival tour has led many young Britons to flock to Spotify in an attempt to either remember or get familiar with Oasis’ work. The majority of people know a couple of hits, which may include Wonderwall, or Don’t Look Back in Anger, but after diving into the full discography, Oasis has been able to grab the attention of a whole new generation. If not for this reunion tour, this younger generation would have arguably only heard a few Oasis songs in the background while their parents cooked dinner, or tidied the garage. A reunion tour has allowed for a full revival of Oasis and their music.
Both generations became Ticketmaster warriors and fought tooth and nail to secure concert tickets despite the technical issues, ticket cancellations, and frustrations over ticket prices. Undoubtedly, this reunion tour has spurred nostalgia in the original generation who enjoyed Oasis while they were active, but it will also encourage nostalgia in a whole new generation through this reunion tour.
While the nostalgic aspects of the tour are high, it is impossible to ignore the financial aspect of these reunion tours. As demand increases, bands and promoters are able to have extortionate prices for these reunion tours— people are willing to pay insane amounts of money to relive their younger years and relive that sentimentality. Band members, managers, and venues alike are very aware of this fact and use it to their advantage with these reunion tours. It would be foolish to say that bands are reuniting purely for their own nostalgia or that of their fans, while this would be incredibly selfless. If bands were truly this selfless, surely ticket prices would be lower?
With the Oasis reunion tour, the Gallagher brothers are predicted to earn over £50 million each from the initial fourteen tour dates. We have seen with other artists, that many cling onto whatever nostalgia or fame they have left in order to profit, and continue living a lavish lifestyle without doing anything new, we’ve seen a plethora of podcasts, autobiographies, and interviews being released for this exact reason. So is a tour announcement really that different in terms of what the intended outcome is? When a tour is purely conducted with profit in mind, this can often reflect in the quality of the show itself, and many fans have been left disappointed with such tours, as with the reunion tour The Doors of the 21st Century, according to fans.
Many groups have also ended tours prematurely when they are happy with the profit that they have made, which has left fans incredibly disappointed in the band. Reunion tours have the impact of completely ruining the legacy of an otherwise incredible band if something like this happens. To prevent this from happening, many artists are not paid until their initial dates of performances are complete, as with the Oasis tour. Reports claim that the Gallagher brothers will not be paid a penny until they have performed all fourteen of their initial tour dates. As this tour is yet to happen, we cannot be sure as of now whether this tour leans more towards being a nostalgic comeback, or a cash grab. However, it is surely a combination of the two, as we have noticed with other reunion tours.