Oasis Returns with Anthemic Show After Brothers Bury Hatchet and Reform

“It’s good to be back,” Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher sang in the first song Hello moments after he walked onstage arm-in-arm with his brother Noel Gallagher for a triumphant return.

For the first time in 16 years, Liam, 52, and Noel, 58, put decades of bickering aside to be reunited on stage in Cardiff, Wales, on Friday, July 4.

The brothers, who took Oasis to mega-stardom in the heady days of the 1990s, stepped out at the Principality Stadium for the first of 41 dates in a tour that also takes the U.S, Australia, Brazil and Japan. Its initial release of dates sold out in hours.

A barnstorming anthemic performance mixed worldwide hits like “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” “Wonderwall” and “Some Might Say” with fan favorites like “Half The World Away.” One of those favorites, “Acquiesce,” with its refrain, “Because we need each other/We believe in one another,” was second on the set list.

And it might have been a reference to the band-of-brothers camaraderie of fans who helped make them one of the biggest groups in the world. Their first album was the fastest-ever selling debut in U.K. history, and they went on to reportedly shift more than 40 million albums worldwide, including around 6 million in the U.S.

That appeal was reflected on July 4 when fans from the Netherlands, South Korea and Germany joined hordes from around the U.K. for the first gig.

For those who’d queued for a place near the front of the stage, it was a day they thought they’d never see. As well as the anthems, Oasis became as famous for the tension between the brothers. They imploded in 2009 in Paris when the brothers were involved in a melee backstage. Since then, as both brothers pursued solo careers, word of a reunion regularly surfaced, but neither Gallagher seemed to embrace the idea at the same time.

That ended in August 2024 when — after teasing their comeback for days — they confirmed to the rock world that they were back and set to tour. “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised,” a statement read at the time.

Liam even made a playful reference to the ticketing controversy that followed the rush for concert seats when he said from the stage Friday, “Was it worth the £40,000 (or $54,000) you paid for the ticket?” before they launched into “Slide Away.”

With a swagger that brought memories of why Liam was the greatest (British) frontman of the ’90s, they rattled through what could have been a soundtrack for the 1990s and 2000s. Images of their family and scenes from the Manchester suburb of Burnage flashed up during “Fade Away.” And there was a touching, poignant moment when an image of late Liverpool soccer player Diogo Jota, who recently died in a car crash at 28 years old, was flashed up at the end of the anthem, “Live Forever.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

With teenagers and 20-somethings joining their parents in the crowd, “The Masterplan” was introduced by Noel as a song “for all those people in their 20s who’ve never seen us.”

The two-hour show ended with another moment of brotherly bonding. As Liam left the stage, he passed his older sibling, and they clasped hands.

Chief songwriter Noel and frontman Liam were joined by Gem Archer and Andy Bell, Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs and Joey Waronker for the long-awaited concert.

The tour heads to the U.S. in September with a concert at Soldier Field, Chicago on Aug. 28, before taking in the Met Life stadium in New Jersey and the Rosebowl Stadium, Pasadena, Calif.

If you’re lucky to have one of the tickets, a memorable, barnstorming night awaits.