Oasis’ long-awaited reunion tour has been a golden boost for the UK’s otherwise struggling high streets and city centres. Retail Week crunches the numbers to see how the band has boosted footfall and spend.
Oasis’ sell-out UK tour is set to bring in a staggering £1.1bn into the flagging UK economy, and has provided a much-needed boost for struggling high streets, bars, shops and city centres from London to Cardiff and Manchester to Edinburgh.
With the band set to perform its final gig of the tour this evening, fans have been splurging up and down the country on everything from t-shirts to bucket hats, cups and even cuddly toys, concert memorabilia – all staples of attending live music events.
Yet many fans’ consumer habits aren’t just limited to packing out the arenas and snapping up merch. UK retailers across categories have all enjoyed a large increase in overall footfall when Oasis’ touring circus comes to town.
Live gigs in general always generate a halo effect in the places they are in. Data from entertainment group Live Nation shows that nine out of 10 live music fans will also shop in-person before or after a concert, and many consumers typically treat the event as an occasion to indulge in multiple forms of spending, including on outfits, cosmetic products and food.
Live Nation also found that 87% of shoppers believe a retail brand’s involvement in live music adds to its overall appeal and helps it to stand out from competitors.
Over the past year, music group Oasis has sparked a fan frenzy ever since they announced their highly anticipated reunion tour, with many people reporting a wait of up to six hours to even attempt a go at nabbing a spot in the stadium.
Bigger than T-Swift
The Oasis comeback tour is due to generate an even bigger boost to the economy than last year’s sold out Taylor Swift tour, which brought in nearly £1bn.
Data from MRI software breaks down the footfall jumps enjoyed city by city, and the impact has been profound.
For Oasis’ Cardiff show in July, the city experienced a surge in retail activity, with a 25.1% increase in footfall year on year, and a 10.6% uplift in footfall compared to the previous week.
The opening night of the tour delivered a 61.9% rise in footfall year on year and 28% rise week on week.
The momentum built throughout the day and peaked between 8pm and 11pm, with a 90.4% surge compared to the same period last year, according to MRI Software.
The data highlights how music gigs are more than cultural events, with the Oasis tour specifically providing a boost to footfall and spending during the crucial summer trading period.
MRI Software said: “As Oasis kicked off their long-anticipated reunion world tour in Cardiff, the city experienced a surge in visitor activity as footfall soared in tandem with the soundcheck.
“With the band set to visit major cities throughout the summer, retailers, hospitality, and venues hosting the tour should expect to see similar trends.”
In Manchester, the Arndale shopping centre also experienced a similar effect on Thursday July 10 – the day before the first of five sold out shows at Heaton Park, with the city recording a 15% rise in footfall year on year.
The timings of the increase in expenditure reflect the leisure and dining amenities consumers were indulging in as they did some last-minute shopping for gig essentials ahead of the shows.
Manchester Arndale Centre director David Allinson said: “The Oasis homecoming gigs had a positive impact on Manchester Arndale, particularly in the evenings as visitors combined shopping with dining and leisure.
“Big cultural moments like this remind us that the city centre locations can benefit significantly, creating a vibrant community atmosphere that resonates with both locals and visitors. Oasis brought that to Manchester, and our footfall numbers reflect it.”
In London, footfall peaked on Friday July 25 and Saturday July 26, the first of two shows in a series of seven for the capital, and rose by 8.2% and 14.9%, respectively, week on week.
Bucket hats and alcohol
However, it’s not just retailers in city centres who have enjoyed an Oasis bump this year. For one thing, the band itself has been keen to cash in.
It opened its first ever standalone Oasis Live ‘25 merchandise store in Manchester on June 20. The shop featured a range of official tour merchandise, as well as exclusive brand collaborations with the likes of Adidas, and limited-edition items.
Music specialist HMV told Retail Week that it has also enjoyed a huge jump in sales from the Oasis tour.
Since August 2024, when Liam and Noel first announced that Oasis were to reunite, HMV saw sales across the band’s full catalogue rose by 526% week-on-week.
In addition, since the tour began, the music retailer reported a further 107% uplift in sales of the band’s full catalogue. According to the group, sales of Oasis merchandise have also risen by 61%, with T-shirts accounting for 94% of that increase.
For retailers, capitalising on music-related merchandise and associating their brand with the events can have a staggering impact on sales.
Supermarket giant Aldi joined the trend by dedicating a temporary tribute to Oasis ahead of the band’s Heaton Park gigs. To celebrate the Manchester shows, the discounter changed the sign above its Prestwich branch on Bury New Road to ‘Aldeh’.
Originally intended as a one off stunt to coincide with the gigs, the move went viral and was even shared by Liam Gallagher on his Instagram story. After thousands of fans petitioned the retailer to make the name change permanent, Aldi agreed.
“We’ve been blown away by the public’s reaction to ‘Aldeh’,” Aldi UK chief commercial officer Julie Ashfield said. “What started as a fun, temporary tribute to Oasis and the local accent has turned into something far bigger. We’ve heard shoppers loud and clear.”
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