A number of Oasis fans were arrested in Manchester last night as they tried to jump the fence to break into the band’s Heaton Park show.
The Britpop legends played the first of five massive shows at the north Manchester site on Friday (July 11), their first time playing in their hometown since 2009. Roughly 80,000 fans filled Heaton Park, but some that did not have tickets attempted to climb over the boundary walls of the park to get in.
Manchester Evening News have reported that a group of 50 fans tried to “rush” one of the entrances to the gig area, with some managing to get in but others being apprehended and escorted away. One man was seen being handcuffed and taken off site by a police officer, while another officer was seen carrying a ladder away, after fans had used it to try to climb over the outer fence.
Greater Manchester Police confirmed that six individuals were arrested for offences including fraud, intent to sell cannabis and drunk and disorderly conduct. A number of drones were also confiscated after a no-fly zone of one and half miles around the venue was ordered.
Promoters and local authorities have warned people not to try to break into Heaton Park during the shows, advising that there would be a double fence surrounding the area, with security patrolling between the two. This comes after a number of TikTok videos had circulated giving non-ticket holders “guidance” on how to get into the concert.
Oasis play their second show at Heaton Park tonight (July 12), with three more to follow on July 16, 19 and 20.
The show on Friday saw Noel and Liam Gallagher walk out arm in arm, with Noel proclaiming: “This is the fucking place! This is it!” Liam shouted: “Oasis vibes in the area! Manchester vibes in the area!”
Fans have travelled from across the globe to be there, queuing overnight to bag a good standing spot. Some who did not get into the venue were also seen singing and dancing along in the streets surrounding Heaton Park.
A cardboard cutout of Man City’s Pep Guardiola stood behind Noel, and the real-life manager was in attendance, even receiving a shoutout from Liam, who said: “I’d like to dedicate this next song to the greatest fucking manager of all time, Mr. Pep Guardiola,” before performing ‘D’You Know What I Mean?’.
You can find a full recap of the gig, and see the setlist, here.
After their five shows in Manchester, Oasis will play seven nights at London’s Wembley Stadium, and make stops in both Edinburgh and Dublin. From there, they will head to North America, South America, Australia, South Korea and Japan.
At the first of the band’s 2025 reunion shows, NME gave their performance in Cardiff a glowing five-star review: “After a ‘90s heyday and an often maligned post-millennium era, this is Oasis redesigned for the 21st Century.
“Playing before a pop-art-meets-psychedelia visual spectacular that never distracts but will look sick on a phone, they seem the quintessential stadium band playing the greatest hits of greatest hits.”