Why did Oasis split up?

An Oasis reunion is finally happening. Britpop fans have long held on to hopes at that Liam Gallagher and elder brother Noel Gallagher might put aside their differences and reunite for a tour, and now it’s confirmed for 2025.

Formed in 1991, the Manchester band responsible for hits such as Wonderwall, Supersonic, and Some Might Say, are one of the most influential and beloved UK groups of all time.

They split in 2009 when the warring Gallagher brothers fell out during a backstage fight at a festival in Paris and ever since fans have been hoping they could forgive each other.

Confirming the Oasis Live 25 tour, they said: “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised.”

Why did Oasis break up?

If you haven’t been following the blow-by-blow saga of the Gallagher brothers’ 15-year feud then here is how it all went down, and just what they have both said about the chart-topping, multi-award-winning, era-defining band that is Oasis.

Sibling rivalry

Even when they were still together, the Gallagher brothers always had something of a love-hate relationship.

Liam was originally the only Gallagher brother in Oasis, but after coming to watch him perform in 1991 brother Noel approached the band about joining, on the condition that he would be the band’s only songwriter.

And so they became Rock ‘n’ Roll Stars together. Liam was the frontman and the heartthrob, standing in the spotlight singing lead vocals with his distinctive vocals and getting all the girls. Noel was the musical genius, writing the hits and fading into the background playing bass guitar and singing back-up.

Oasis — whose hits included Wonderwall, Supersonic and Champagne Supernova — have won six Brit Awards, two Ivor Novello awards and numerous other accolades and had 17 Top Three singles, including eight Number Ones.

During the band’s heyday (and even before) they shared a brotherly rivalry and exchanged insults. Perhaps they were both a bit jealous of each other’s strengths and felt trapped by the success of their partnership. Other band members came and went but Oasis was always about the Gallagher brothers.

Opening up about the their argument backstage in Paris in 2009, Noel has called it “the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

So what kicked off in Paris in 2009?

It was Friday night, 29 August and Oasis were getting ready to go on stage to headline the Rock En Seine festival. They had been on the road with their Dig Out Your Soul Tour for a year and they only had two gigs left to play before they could all take a well earned break from performing — and each other.

Tension had been building and just a week earlier they had pulled out of their slot at V Festival Chelmsford at the 11th hour, disappointing thousands of fans. They had played V Festival Staffordshire on Saturday, 22 August and then cancelled Sunday’s performance with Liam complaining he had viral laryngitis and his voice had “disappeared”.

Noel dismissed his brother’s illness as a hangover and rumours quickly began rumbling that the band were on the verge of breaking up.

Then backstage in Paris the brothers had a row about Liam promoting his Pretty Green clothing label to Oasis fans. After the disagreement led to a physical fight, with Liam threatening to hit him with a guitar, Noel walked out, got in a taxi and he and Liam have apparently never spoken since.

Looking Back In Anger

Following the split Liam formed his own band Beady Eye, with guitarists Gem Archer and Andy Bell and drummer Chris Sharrock, all former members of Oasis. Noel started a new band, High Flying Birds.

But as the writer of most of Oasis’s biggest hits — Noel is the one who can now perform the songs and Liam has to pay for his brother’s permission if he wants to sing them live.

Noel does not look back fondly on his days with Oasis. He has admitted he is not very proud of some of the songs he wrote for the band, including Wonderwall.

He has also been quite rude about Oasis fans — referring to them as parka monkeys, and Liam as their King.

And the war between the brothers is not just about being music rivals, things have got pretty nasty.

Liam has compared his big brother to Hitler and even involved his niece Anais in the feud by sending her threatening messages to her.

Stand By Me

The brother’s rift has been a big cause of heartache for their mother Peggy Gallagher. She turned 80 in January 2023 and she just wants her boys to put their differences aside and make up for the sake of their family.

And if Liam and Noel were able to repair their relationship, then the likelihood of the long rumoured Oasis reunion might seem a lot more likely.

Fans cling to any glimmers of hope that the long-rumoured comeback might be happening, and Some Might Say Liam seems more keen than any of them.

It all began back in early 2020 when Liam claimed Noel had turned down an offer of £100m to play with Oasis again.

Then during the coronavirus pandemic Liam announced a concert in aid of the NHS, billing it as an Oasis reunion and vowing to go ahead “with or without” his brother.

And it seemed like Noel was starting to get nostalgic as he dug out some unreleased Oasis tracks while he was stuck at home in lockdown.

What did Liam and Noel say about Oasis reuniting?

Oasis reunion rumours have circulated over the years but they have intensified in late August amid the apparent thawing in the feud between the pair. Liam Gallagher fuelled the rumours by offering some tongue-in-check responses to fans who have flooded him with messages asking for confirmation.

After The Times posted the article on X, formerly Twitter, a fan said Heaton Park is a “terrible venue for concerts”, with Liam responding: “See you down the front.”

When another asked when the reunion dates will be announced, he replied: “Next Friday.”

The rocker also tweeted that he “never did like that word FORMER”.

It came as the band’s classic debut album Definitely Maybe is set to mark its 30th anniversary this week with a special edition release. Liam has been touring the UK this summer on his Definitely Maybe tour to celebrate the 30 years since its release in 1994.

Noel has been notably absent from the concerts, but during a show in Cardiff Liam made a point of dedicating Half The World Away to his “little brother”, saying he is “still playing hard to get”.

Liam also played a host of Oasis hits during his headline performance at Leeds Festival on Friday night, and is set to top the bill on Sunday for its sister event in Reading.