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Oasis confirm second support act for massive UK and Ireland reunion tour
And there you have it: the Oasis reunion lineup looks to be confirmed.
Oasis have now officially confirmed the next support act for their massive UK and Ireland reunion tour next year – and it’s a familiar name.
The news that the Gallagher brothers were finally reuniting over a decade and a half on from their sudden split shook the world earlier this year and ever since people have been wondering who they’ll be taking along with them on their first shows together since V Festival back in 2009.
After fellow Greater Manchester native and Wigan legend, Richard Ashcroft was unveiled as the first support act, the official Oasis social media accounts have now revealed that Liverpool band Cast are set to be their second warm-up act.
It’s going to be an all-North West affair – now that’s something we can get behind.
Announced on Monday morning, 28 October, both Oasis and their soon-to-be Scouse tour-mates shared respective announcements on their pages, confirming that Cast will be the opening act for each domestic date with the former Verve frontman set to serve as the main support artist.
Writing on their socials, the indie rock veterans said: “We are delighted to confirm that we will be supporting Oasis as part of their worldwide tour, in the UK and Ireland performances in 2025, with Richard Ashcroft. Tickets are sold out, and we can’t wait to see you all for these BIBLICAL shows.”
The news didn’t come as too much of a surprise, to be honest; not only did Cast support Liam on his solo 30th-anniversary tour of Definitely Maybe earlier this year, but the iconic singer also did plenty of teasing on X (formerly Twitter) as per usual.
However, while plenty of people are understandably buzzing to see the big regional names all out on the road together, others are a little surprised and even disappointed by it, mainly because of the dream the Oasis reunion lineup they’d conjured in their heads.
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Well, that one aged well…
Understandably many fans did think that the likes of Blossoms might be tagging along for the tour given they helped announce the comeback at their massive Wythenshawe Park gig, Cast and Richard Ashcroft look to be the only artists joining them for the reunion shows.
That being said, there’s still time for a late surprise and Liam has already taken his son’s band Villanelle on the road with him recently. Watch this space.
Plus, the pair were only confirmed for the UK and Ireland gigs so maybe we’ll see a different duo selected for the North American, Australian and seemingly ever-unfolding world tour.
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Featured Images — The Manc Group/Press Image (supplied)
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Fans are preparing to pay tribute to Mani from The Stone Roses ahead of his funeral service
Danny Jones
Stone Roses fans and Greater Manchester locals alike are getting ready to pay their respects to the late, great, Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, following his tragic passing last month.
As well as details surrounding his funeral being announced earlier this week, the iconic Manc musician’s cause of death has also finally been revealed.
Mani was sadly confirmed dead on 20 November, aged just 63, just over a month on from attending fellow local legend and friend Ricky Hatton’s memorial and public procession.
While Hatton’s service featured a high-profile cortège which started all the way from his hometown of Hyde, past multiple landmarks and ending at the Etihad Stadium, those local to Mani’s family home on the edge of Stockport are also being welcomed to help send him off.
It has now been confirmed that Mani – born in Crumpsall but raised in Moston and Failsworth – unfortunately passed away from long-term respiratory issues.
He had been struggling with emphysema for some time; he was declared dead at his home in the suburb of Heaton Moor, and is said to have died peacefully in his sleep.
As you can see from the posters put in various places around the area, residents wishing to pay their own tributes to Mani before his private funeral service at Manchester Cathedral are encouraged to line the long street leading down from St Paul’s and Heaton Moor United Church as he heads towards the city.
Departing Parsonage Road from 10am on Monday, 22 December, before turning right onto Heaton Moor Rd, then Wellington and eventually on to the Cathedral, you can expect plenty of people to show up.
One of those people will be his former bandmate and another influential guitarist, John Squire, who is one of many famous musical names to have honoured him in their own way over the last few weeks.
Other members of The Stone Roses, as well as Primal Scream (who he joined in 1996), are expected to join the close family and friends at the service itself.
Nevertheless, we have no doubt that plenty will be observing the funeral in their own way.
So, for those of you also looking to honour him, you know what to do; and to quote the poster itself, “together we can show this local legend and his family that he was truly adored.”
Rest in peace.
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Featured Images — @gachayatta (via X)/@aktivioslo (via Flickr)
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Boyzone to reunite for exclusive New Year’s Eve special on the BBC
Danny Jones
2025 has very much been the year of the comeback – be it Oasis, Britpop fashion in general, or short bobs and pixie cuts – so it’s only fitting that we round off the calendar with one last reunion, as throwback boyband Boyzone are set to feature on a TV special on the BBC this New Year’s Eve.
Turns out ‘All That I Need’ to make a year memorable is a load of 1990s nostalgia.
Now, obviously, despite plenty of other music names enjoying a second renaissance over the past 12 months or so, nothing is ever going to be quite as big as the Oasis Live ’25 reunion tour.
However, if you asked us to guess which group from the era were also going to reunite this year back in January, there’s not a chance we would’ve said Boyzone.
After news first began circulating earlier this week, it has now been confirmed that musician turned presenter Ronan Keating will be getting back together with two of his former bandmates.
Joining the 48-year-old for ‘Ronan & Friends: A New Year’s Eve Party’, ex-Boyzone members Keith Duffy and Shane Lynch are part of an exciting live music lineup.
Other names include actor and singer, Shona McGarty, who recently starred on season 25 of I’m A Celeb, as well as fellow 90s pop artist Louise Redknapp and singer-songwriter Calum Scott.
The exclusive reunion comes after the success of the recently aired Boyzone: No Matter What documentary show.
Spread across three parts on Sky, the docuseries (named after their hit song from 1998) looks back on the career and journey up the charts back in their heyday, all the way up to the present. After seemingly striking a chord with fans and the lads themselves, it looks like they’re not done after all…
Yes, not only is the festive TV special going to see three of the original members performing alongside each other again, but
Here’s hoping that turns into a springboard for something even bigger, and we get a Manchester arena show sometime soon.
As for the programme itself, ‘Ronan & Friends: A New Year’s Eve Party’ will be broadcast on BBC One and made available on BBC iPlayer from Wednesday, 31 December 2025.
Will you be tuning in?
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Featured Images — @vagueonthehow (via Flickr)/Virgin Radio UK (screenshot via X)
