Oasis – Accor Stadium, Sydney: November 8, 2025 (13th Floor Concert Review)
13th Floor’s John Bradbury made the trip to Sydney to see the reunited Oasis. Here is his report:
For two hours on Saturday night, we were wide awake inside a vivid dream. Oasis were reborn, just as loud, brash and communal as before. Under the floodlights of Sydney’s Accor Stadium they mixed huge anthems with looser, psych-tinged rock and reminded us what it feels like to believe again in energy, attitude, and heart.
As the Gallaghers entered, the power-chord surge of Hello hit like an old engine already running, rough but glorious, shaking dust off decades of memory and moving fast. Energy pulsed from the stage as large screen images told the story of the band’s rebirth, and the crowd raced to catch up.
We were there with our son; for him this was discovery, for us it was déjà vu. For everyone, it was a jolt of recognition and excitement. Around us, bald heads covered by bucket hats mingled with Gen Z in vintage tees, a crowd where survivors from the 90s and first-timers born this century stood together singing like it all still mattered. It did.
Liam Gallagher’s presence remains pure theatre: the clenched jaw, the hands clasped behind, the power in stillness. His stance and voice carry that mix of defiance, conviction and bite that once defined a generation. Between songs he told stories, half unhinged and unlikely to be true, but always demanding our attention. He tore through Morning Glory and Cigarettes & Alcohol, with the swagger returned, arrogant yet self-aware, mid-1990s optimism pushing aside mid-2020s gloom.
And then there’s Noel Gallagher. Oasis have always been more than Liam’s performance. Noel’s songwriting is more intricate and melodic than the brothers’ bravado suggests, each song built with a craftsman’s precision. Beneath those vast choruses lie melodies that feel timeless and almost inevitable because they are so perfectly shaped. His singing demanded attention in a quieter way, his audience interaction more understated; he brought finesse that tempered Liam’s fire.
Mid-set featured Half the World Away, dedicated to the Irish in the audience, and Little by Little. With Noel singing the energy softened. The defiance gave way to reflection. As many people sat down you could feel a ripple of recognition that while these songs have aged with us, they still mean something.
By the time Live Forever rang out, the stadium had become a single choir again. We weren’t scrolling our phones for the lyrics; we’d learnt and remembered by instinct. That was part of the night’s power, watching a band once defined by division bring eras together.
The main set ended with Rock ’n’ Roll Star. Liam sang, “Tonight, I’m a rock ’n’ roll star.” He meant it and so did we.
When they returned for the encore, Liam wore a bucket hat tailored for Australia, complete with dangling corks. Somehow his presence was still commanding. They opened with psychedelic visuals and The Masterplan, enriched by a brass section. The night ended with a holy trinity of modern day folk hymns, Don’t Look Back in Anger, Wonderwall and Champagne Supernova. As fireworks exploded overhead, Liam stood silhouetted against the screen, a tambourine perched on his head, still magnetic.
On a very warm Sydney night, around 70,000 people joined the rivers of humanity flowing back to trains, buses and cars. Generations believed in themselves and each other again.
As Noel once wrote, “We’re the dreams that you think are real.”
Oasis didn’t just revisit old dreams. They made them exist again.
John Bradbury
Oasis Set list
- Hello
- Acquiesce
- Morning Glory
- Some Might Say
- Bring It On Down
- Cigarettes & Alcohol
- Fade Away
- Supersonic
- Roll With It
- Talk Tonight
- Half the World Away
- Little by Little
- D’You Know What I Mean?
- Stand by Me
- Cast No Shadow
- Slide Away
- Whatever
- Live Forever
- Rock ’n’ Roll Star
Encore:
20. The Masterplan
21. Don’t Look Back in Anger
22. Wonderwall
23. Champagne Supernova
