The new Oasis documentary, Don't Look Back in Anger, received an extraordinary eight-minute standing ovation at its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, leaving brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher visibly emotional.
Oasis mania gripped the festival, with fans packing the red carpet lines, leading Oasis chants and holding out albums for Liam Gallagher to autograph. Inside the Palazzo del Cinema, the rock concert vibe continued as film-goers sang along and chanted "Oasis, Oasis" when the brothers were spotted.
Videos captured inside the venue showed Noel apparently wiping away tears at the enormity of the occasion, while Liam took the applause and continued to autograph memorabilia for fans inside the cinema.
Film charts reunion and comeback gigs
The biopic, devised by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight and directed by Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern, charts how the warring brothers reunited and the Oasis Live 2025 comeback gigs that followed. It features behind-the-scenes footage from the band's Live '25 reunion tour, including the Gallaghers' first joint interview since the gigs began last July in Cardiff.
From the very start, the film shows the band regrouping and rehearsing in a London-based studio, with around 12 cameras locked in position to capture candid moments. The pairs talk about rehearsals, their nerves leading up to the shows, and how the tour has changed their relationship for the better.
Emotional moments and relationship insights
Noel says they weren't "prepared for the intense outpouring of joy and tears", and that the gravity of it all "knocked him back". Liam admits he understands how important the band is to people, but also their limitations: "You can only do what you can do, we're not f****** superheroes."
As the film progresses, the pair's relationship thaws. Noel says there are two versions of Liam, and the one at the gigs is "cool": "You know if I did that I'd look like a utter c****. But somehow he does it and it's the greatest thing I've ever seen. I'd forgotten what he means to people."
They laugh about having an easier stage show than Mick Jagger, Noel's surprise that Liam did the poznan, and their kids becoming closer: "They didn't know each other, they're all f****** best friends now," jokes Noel. There's visible emotion as they discuss the impact of The Stone Roses' Mani's death, with Liam saying life is "precious". Noel reflects on how far they've come: "All the little things that used to annoy us about each other have suddenly all gone away, it's not a power struggle now, we've come out now as equals."
Rave reviews and London premiere
First reviews have been ecstatic. Manchester Evening News What's On editor Jenna Campbell called it a "triumphant homage to Manchester's favourite sons", writing: "There is no other way around it, what you watch is utterly captivating. Whether you were there or not, you feel part of it again - the tears, the sheer euphoria of people dancing and singing their hearts out - it's pure alchemy."
Time Out Worldwide's film editor Phil de Semlyen gave it five stars, saying it is "loud, hopeful and surprisingly emotional". TheWrap's Siddhant Adlakha said it could "turn agnostics into believers". The Hollywood Reporter described it as a "rich and poignant celebration", while NME's Rhian Daly said the "masterfully done doc captures [the Gallagher's] journey" and that "watching the pair repair their relationship is a beautiful, emotional thing".
The Oasis juggernaut now heads to London for the UK premiere at Leicester Square on Monday night, before the film gets a selected release on Wednesday, September 9, and full cinema release worldwide on Friday, September 11.
Tour 2027 speculation
Amid fevered speculation about the band's next move, teaser videos released daily on the official Oasis account appear to confirm new tour dates are on the way, with gigs indicated at Celtic Park in Glasgow, the Etihad Stadium in Manchester and a return to Knebworth. As the MEN revealed earlier this year, Oasis fans should keep their bank balances steady in mid-September, when tour tickets are set to be released.
