The Oasis reunion everyone’s been waiting for just got even better. As if the 19 UK and Ireland dates weren’t already the hottest tickets of the year, now Richard Ashcroft has been confirmed as the special guest for the UK and Ireland leg of the Oasis Live ‘25 tour.
Ashcroft’s no stranger to Oasis fans – his involvement is practically written in the stars. Whether it’s Verve classics like ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ and ‘The Drugs Don’t Work’ or his solo hits such as ‘A Song for the Lovers,’ Ashcroft’s career is laced with anthems that echo the same era-defining energy as Oasis. And let’s be real: the man knows how to get a crowd warmed up. You can almost feel the atmosphere already, can’t you?
Ashcroft and Oasis go way back – right to the early days when Oasis opened for The Verve on one of their first national tours in 1993. They were practically playing to empty rooms back then, but look at them now: one of the biggest bands in the world, selling out stadiums within minutes. There’s also the infamous ferry incident that left all but Noel Gallagher stuck on a boat while Noel went ahead and played a solo set in Amsterdam. Ah, rock ‘n’ roll mishaps. But the connection between the two acts solidified over the years, whether it was playing the Bataclan in 1995 or Noel’s nod to Ashcroft in ‘Cast No Shadow’ on (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?.
Speaking about the reunion, Ashcroft said, “As a fan from day one I was buzzing for many reasons when the news of Oasis’s return was announced. I can say with no exaggeration that the songwriting talent of Noel and Liam’s pure spirit as a lead singer helped to inspire me to create some of my best work. It was the perfection of ‘Live Forever’ that forced me to try and write my own. They dared to be great, made the dreams we had real, and I will always remember those days with joy. Now it’s time to create more memories, and I’m ready to bring it. See you next summer. Music is power.”
Ashcroft’s legacy speaks for itself – three UK number one albums, a stack of Brit Awards, and a couple of Ivor Novello Awards to top it off. But it’s that shared history, the friendship between these titans of British music, that’s really going to make these gigs special.
With the rest of the support line-up yet to be announced, all we can do now is wait. But with Richard Ashcroft already in the mix, it’s safe to say the 2025 UK and Ireland shows are going to be something unforgettable.
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