Fans share concern over Oasis’ Edinburgh reunion gigs taking place during the Fringe

27 August, 2024

Liam and Noel Gallagher have finally come together to reunite Oasis for UK and Ireland stadium tour in 2025. Credit: Simon Emmett

Oasis fans have been expressing their concern over the band’s Edinburgh reunion shows taking place at the same time as the city’s Festival Fringe.

This morning (August 27), it was announced that Liam and Noel Gallagher will reunite onstage next summer for their first gigs together in 16 years.

The highly anticipated UK and Ireland tour – dubbed ‘OASIS LIVE 25’ – will see the formerly estranged pair perform at Manchester’s Heaton Park, London’s Wembley Stadium, Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, Dublin’s Croke Park, and Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium.

But fans hoping to catch Oasis in the Scottish capital on either Friday August 8 or Saturday August 9 have noted that the 2025 edition of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe is due to run from August 1 to August 25.

The Fringe – which describes itself as “one of the greatest celebrations of arts and culture on the planet” – takes place across the city every August. It creates a significant demand for accommodation and puts a strain on the city’s public transport network.

As The Independent reported earlier this summer, prices for places to stay in Edinburgh were being increased by as much as £1,125 per night during the 2024 Fringe.

The issue was reportedly worse than ever this year due to new short-let regulations introduced in Scotland last October, which mean hosts and hotels need a licence or face a fine of up to £2,500.

A cheaper option for Fringe-goers is student accommodation, but these locations often sell out quickly. As a result, customers have to fork out for a hotel – often charging over £300 a night.

With the addition of Oasis’ huge comeback gigs in Edinburgh, some fans have been sharing their concerns over the city potentially not being able to handle the vast amount of extra visitors.

“Oasis playing two nights in Edinburgh during the Fringe festival. You’ll need to take out a mortgage to get a hotel room 😂,” one person wrote on X/Twitter. Another said: “Good luck getting accommodation for that without having to sell a couple of organs.”

A third user told their followers that the “city is going to be *RAMMED*” because of the Fringe and Oasis’ shows. Elsewhere, a fan said that accommodation prices will be “insane” in Edinburgh next August.

Someone else wrote: “Oasis doing two nights in Edinburgh during #edfringe 2025. Anyone with so much as a shoebox to rent out is going to be absolutely delighted 😳.”

A Fringe-goer, meanwhile, said that booking their accommodation yesterday had turned out to be a “masterstroke as it’s going to be bedlam with Oasis playing two nights at Murrayfield in the middle of it”.

 

Others highlighted the issue of transport. Earlier this month, ScotRail issued a warning to customers – telling them to expect busy services across the central belt (via Edinburgh Live).

“With trains expected to be busier than usual, we’re encouraging everyone to allow extra time for travel, and check their journey in advance via our online journey planner,” said Phil Campbell, ScotRail Customer Operations Director.

Predicting further disruption to the network next year, an X/Twitter user shared: “Oasis playing Edinburgh during the Fringe is going to be spectacular when Scotrail announce the last train to Glasgow is 10pm.”

Another person said “ScotRail better pull their finger out” to ensure a smooth service. You can see more reactions below.

According to the official Fringe website, there were more than 3,600 shows at the 2024 event – which finished yesterday (Monday August 26). Last year saw 2,445,609 tickets issued across the festival, “having brought together artists, arts industry, media and audiences from nearly 170 countries”.

This morning has seen Oasis fans express their excitement over the Britpop band’s massive return, and speculate over a potential headline set at Glastonbury – where the Gallaghers last topped the bill in 2004.

Meanwhile, plans are also currently “underway” for further Oasis concerts outside of Europe.

Tickets for ‘OASIS LIVE 25’ go on general sale at 9am BST this Saturday (August 31). You’ll be able to buy yours here (UK), and here (Ireland).

Oasis’ 2025 UK and Ireland tour dates are:

JULY 
04 – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
05 – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
11 – Manchester, Heaton Park
12 – Manchester, Heaton Park
19 – Manchester, Heaton Park
20 – Manchester, Heaton Park
25 – London, Wembley Stadium
26 – London, Wembley Stadium

AUGUST 
02 – London, Wembley Stadium
03 – London, Wembley Stadium
08 – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
09 – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
16 – Dublin, Croke Park
17 – Dublin, Croke Park

The reformed iteration of Oasis have not yet revealed who will appear in the line-up alongside Liam and Noel. However, recent reports claimed “no other original Oasis member is expected to join the reunion”, and that “the members of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds will step in for the concerts”.

‘OASIS LIVE 25’ is reportedly on course to make a staggering £400million, and will follow the release of the ‘Definitely Maybe’ 30th anniversary reissue this coming Friday (August 30).

In a brief joint statement about their comeback, Oasis wrote: “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised.”

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