Noel Gallagher has revealed that during Oasis's historic 1996 Knebworth concerts, he was more concerned about the Sky TV working in the dressing room than the 250,000 fans who attended.
Speaking about the shows, which took place 30 years ago, Gallagher said: "I was so f***ing arrogant at the time that it didn't really register. I don't remember s**tting it myself, I was more concerned about Sky TV working in the dressing room. And it was a new thing, 'F***ing hell, Sky TV outside. In a tent'."
Band at its peak
Around 2.6% of the population tried to get tickets for Knebworth, and Gallagher believes the band was at its peak at the time.
He explained: "Morning Glory hadn't really took off, we hadn't really got paid, we were loaded but the chimps and tigers hadn't turned up. The good stuff, fur coats, f***ing top hat and lasers. So we were still in the same circumstances as our audience. From the fans' perspective we had a feeling they were with us and we could do no wrong."
Gallagher also noted the mixed nature of the audience at the time: "Another thing, our audience then is quite mixed - boys and girls. Oasis at the end had this yobbish element. And there was one arrest in the whole weekend, incredible! Some f***er let the side down. F***ing Scouser."
A snapshot in time
The documentary Oasis Knebworth 96 recounted the experiences of some of the 250,000 who attended. It is striking how everyone at the gig was immersed in the music, as mobile phones did not exist back then.
Gallagher agreed: "It was a celebratory time of youth culture. This a band doing a gig before any of these s**tty words that are in our vocabulary were invented - focus f***ing groups, iTunes, Apple, Microsoft, camera phones. To see a sea of people like that in the moment with the band. You go to Glastonbury now and it's so f***ing annoying there's all these flags, there's not one flag at Knebworth. Not, 'Dave I'm here'. Not one mobile phone. None of that, you are in the moment with the group in the songs. It's a snapshot in time that I can beat my kids over the head with forever."
Return to Knebworth
After years of speculation, Oasis are returning to Knebworth House, the scene of their now-legendary 1996 concerts. The shows have since built a legacy far beyond those who were there.
That became clear earlier this year on the Tokyo subway, nearly 6,000 miles (9,660km) away, where a young Japanese fan was seen wearing a T-shirt featuring Liam Gallagher and the words "Oasis Knebworth 1996". The band must be aware of how important those shows were - the trailer for next year's tour ends with aerial shots slowly revealing their return to the Hertfordshire venue.
Tickets for Oasis's 1996 Knebworth shows cost just £22.50, while the cheapest tickets for Liam Gallagher's solo concerts there in 2022 were closer to £70. In 2027 general admission tickets at Knebworth will set you back £170.50, while front standing space costs £203.50. The venue is one of the more expensive stops on the tour, with tickets for destinations with seating available, such as Manchester's Etihad Stadium and Glasgow's Celtic Park starting at £74.60 and £71.50 respectively.
VIP packages, costing between £317.50 and £513.50, offer benefits including access to a post-show hospitality area, exclusive merchandise or a reserved seating area. Parking is not included, with prices due to be announced in the coming days.
Ticket details and support acts
To buy tickets fans had to sign up with an email address and answer a trivia question to prove they are a fan. Those who registered for shows in the UK could receive a link to buy tickets, which will go on sale in "windows" between Friday 25 and Sunday 27 September. The only confirmed support act so far is former Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft.
He is no stranger to the band as Ashcroft supported the band on their 2025 tour and will appear at all 37 shows in 2027, including the Hertfordshire finale. In 1996 Noel Gallagher dedicated Cast No Shadow to him during Oasis's second Knebworth show.
Oasis were also joined that year by The Charlatans, Manic Street Preachers, The Prodigy, Cast, The Chemical Brothers, Kula Shaker and tribute band The Bootleg Beatles. Neil Harrison, who then performed as John Lennon and now manages the band, said it was "hugely flattering" to be invited but remembers feeling nervous before the now-legendary shows.
He said: "We had no idea how we, as a theatre-style act wearing wigs and costumes and playing Beatle songs, would go down. As it happened, rather well. Of course, we'd be absolutely delighted to open the show again, and with a new line-up, we haven't aged a bit. We await the call."
