UK economy to roll with Oasis boost – Daily Business Magazine

Liam Gallagher has settled his differences with brother Noel to take Oasis back on the road

Oasis fans are expected to spend close to £1 billion during the reunion tour, writes JULENA DRUMI

Taylor Swift broke stadium records as she drew armies of Swifties to cities across the world last summer. Now it’s the turn of homegrown rock legends Oasis to pull in the mega-audiences, and new research suggests Britain’s economy might just be ready to roll with it as fans spend close to £1 billion during the reunion tour.

The Britpop band’s long-awaited comeback, following the cooling of tensions between Liam and Noel Gallagher, will see them perform 17 shows across London, Manchester, Cardiff, and Edinburgh between July and September, drawing a total audience of 1.4 million.

Each fan will fork out £682.80 for everything from tickets and travel to food, drink, shopping and overnight stays.

Novuna Personal Finance projects the combined expenditure to come in at £940.3m throughout the tour, just shy of the £997m spent on Swift’s UK leg of the Eras Tour. 

However, the net economic impact of the Oasis tour on the UK could be higher at an estimated £274.4m. Local businesses are set to be the biggest winners, with 57.9% of all spending (£544.9m) staying in the four host cities, fuelling a major injection into regional economies. 

A breakdown will see fans spending

• £219m on food and drink – topping all categories at £159 per person

• £217m on tickets – averaging £157.50 per fan, below the £206 reported for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.

• £188m on shopping and attractions – with strong footfall expected in local high streets and cultural hotspots

• £166m on travel – including public transport, fuel and taxis

The tour rocks up in Edinburgh for three nights in August (8,9,12) when the city will already be buzzing with visitors to the Edinburgh Festivals.

While day-trippers will account for the largest share of total spending across the Oasis tour (£376m), overnight visitors are the biggest spenders on a per-person basis – averaging £806.50 per attendee, nearly 20% more than the average.

Taylor Swift drew thousands to Edinburgh (pic: Terry Murden / DB Media Services)

Many are extending their stays beyond the concerts, contributing to wider tourism and leisure activity, with an average of 2.19 nights spent in host cities. This rises to 2.48 nights in Manchester and 3.2 nights in Edinburgh.

Hotels during the Swift tour were charging fans up to £1,600 a night, contributing to a £77m boost to the economy.

Theresa Lindsay, chief marketing officer at Novuna Personal Finance, said: “The Oasis reunion is more than a once-in-a-generation music event – it’s a serious economic opportunity.

“With nearly 60% of spending staying in local communities, this tour is set to deliver a powerful and lasting boost to high streets, hospitality, and tourism across the UK.”

“While fans may spend slightly less per head than Swifties, Oasis’s impact could be greater – because so much of that spend supports regional economies, not just the entertainment industry. It’s a home-grown success story with national economic reach.”

Edinburgh is in for another boost this weekend when former Take That star Robbie Williams performs at Murrayfield stadium.

His concert on 31 May is one of only four UK dates – the others are in London, Manchester and Bath. Williams previously performed at Murrayfield in 2003 and 2017.

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