The Oasis Leisure Centre in Swindon, a Grade II-listed indoor water park that opened in 1976, has been closed since October 2020 and is now abandoned, with rotting slides, grime-covered surfaces, and murky green water, according to recent photos.
History and Heyday
The complex featured a lagoon, wave machine, colourful waterslides, artificial rocks, foliage, and an Egyptian statue under its iconic domed roof. It also had a concert hall seating up to 1,620 people or holding 3,000 standing, which hosted bands like Inspiral Carpets in the early 1990s and inspired the name of the band Oasis. Liam Gallagher performed there in 2011 with Beady Eye.
Closure and Neglect
The centre closed permanently in October 2020 after five months without visitors due to lockdowns. Operator GLL stated: "As a charitable social enterprise, we are not in a position to continue operating a facility that requires capital investment and is losing money, while accruing significant rent liabilities." Photos from earlier this year show slides left to rot, floors covered in muck, and water tainted green with floating items untouched for years.
Uncertain Future
In 2025, plans to replace the sports hall with 700 flats while keeping the pool and dome were partially approved, but the council rejected the flats proposal. Hopes for a 2026 reopening remain uncertain.
