When did Oasis last play Wembley Stadium before they split up? 12 July 2009. Three nights that month, actually. But no one who was watching knew that would be Wembley’s last shows for 16 years. It was on the 9th, the 11th, and the 12thof July. Over 60,000 people each night. Rain was beating down on the Sunday. Arms in the air. Singing every word. Then six weeks later, Noel walked out for good.
The 2009 Shows Nobody Saw Coming
It was July when the band landed at Wembley on their Dig Out Your Soul tour. It was supported by Kasabian, The Enemy, and Reverend & The Makers. The setlist was, essentially, everything you’d hope for. Rock ‘n’ Roll Star. Supersonic. Cigarettes & Alcohol. Don’t Look Back in Anger. Wonderwall. The whole lot. On Thursday night, Noel dedicated Live Forever to Richard Ashcroft from The Verve, who was watching from the crowd. Little moments like that made the gigs special. Just five blokes on stage with a guitar in hand. No fancy choreography.
No gimmicks. Classic Oasis. The Sunday show got soaked. Proper British summer weather. But did anyone leave? Course not. That’s what Oasis fans do. They stay and sing. Here’s what nobody knew. The band played the V Festival, Weston Park, on 22 August, less than two months later. That would be the final Oasis gig for over 15 years. Not Wembley. Not some grand farewell. A festival in Staffordshire. Because the night before in Paris, Liam smashed Noel’s guitar backstage, and Noel quit on the spot.
Going Back to 2000
Did Oasis play Wembley in 2000? They did. Two nights at the old stadium that was about to be levelled and rebuilt. 21st and 22nd July. What year did Oasis play Wembley Stadium for the first time? That would be 2000, during the Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants tour. You know, the second night was supposed to be this huge moment. Televised worldwide to approximately 70 million viewers.
Recorded for the Familiar to Millions live album. Should’ve been brilliant. Instead, it became notorious for being an utter car crash. Liam showed up hammered. Properly drunk. He had just broken up with Patsy Kensit and was getting a divorce. Personal life in bits. And he took all that chaos with him onto the stage.
That Nightmare Wembley Gig
From the moment Oasis walked on, you could tell something was off. Actually, before that. During the Happy Mondays support set, Liam stormed on stage and bear-hugged Shaun Ryder. Already well-oiled by then. Throughout the show, he swore constantly. Called Wembley a “shithole” and joked about them knocking it down. Changed lyrics to songs. Let the crowd sing entire verses of Wonderwall because he couldn’t be bothered. At one point, he asked women in the audience to flash their breasts on the big screen.
Someone did. The camera showed it. Between songs, he rambled about his divorce. Called Patsy a “bitch.” Said she’d left him without a “teabag” to his name. Complained about needing a solicitor just to see his son, Lennon. Noel looked furious the entire time. NME later wrote that the onstage tension between them “frequently seemed set to come to blows.” The crowd actually enjoyed it, thinking this was just typical Gallagher brother fighting. They didn’t realize how serious it was. At the end, after the encore finished, Liam refused to leave the stage.
The rest of the band walked off. Liam stayed. Messed with Noel’s guitar. Told the crowd, “I’ll go if you go. You go first.” Eventually, he left. The 70,000 people filed out into the night, confused about what they’d just watched.
Fixing the Wreckage
Because Liam was so drunk, the live album couldn’t use most of the Wembley recordings. The producers had to overdub vocals from concerts in Yokohama, Japan, from earlier in the tour. They pieced together a version of the show that sounded halfway decent. But anyone who was actually there knew the truth. Noel later called it “THE low point in Oasis.
It was a horrible two and a half hours on stage. Liam can hang his head in shame.” Liam’s response years later? “I’ve not drunk booze on stage since that famous Wembley gig. Remember that one where it all went a bit… Apparently, people like that kind of thing, but now I steer clear of all of that. It’s just water, man.” At least he learned something from it.
Why 2009 Mattered More
By the time Oasis returned to Wembley in 2009, they’d survived so much. Noel briefly quit the tour in 2000. More albums. More fights. Everyone cis onstantly predicting they’d split up any day. The new Wembley Stadium had that massive arch overhead. Modern. Rebuilt. A fresh start. The band seemed tighter. More professional. The shows went well. Great reviews. Happy crowds.
Then Paris happened. The backstage row. Noel’s statement on the website: “It’s with some sadness and a great relief to tell you that I quit Oasis tonight. People would write and say what they liked, but I could not continue working with Liam for a day longer.” That was it. Done. Finished.
They’re Back Now
On 27 August 2024, Oasis announced they were getting back together. The internet went mental. Ticketmaster crashed. Dynamic pricing caused outrage. But people got tickets. Starting in July 2025, they began playing stadiums again. Cardiff. Manchester. Edinburgh. Dublin. And yes, Wembley. Seven shows are there this time. Five in July and August, plus two more in September.
Every single one sold out immediately. When did Oasis play Wembley Stadium before this reunion? 12 July 2009. The last night of three. Rain is pouring down. Nobody knew it would be 16 years before they’d be back. The 2025 setlist? Almost identical to 2009. Rock ‘n’ Roll Star opening. I Am The Walrus closing. All the hits in between. Why change what works? Reviews have been good. Liam’s voice sounds strong. Noel’s playing well. The rhythm section is tight. Whatever made them explode in 2009, they’ve managed to put it aside. For now.
What Makes Wembley Special
Wembley is not like any other venue. It’s where England plays football. Where Live Aid happened. Where Queen filmed that legendary performance in 1986 that you still hear people talking about. Wembley’s as big as it gets for a British band. You’ve made it. You matter. Oasis knew that. They played it in 2000, chaos and all. Returned in 2009 to remind everyone they could stillbe the masters of it. Now, in 2025, they are doing it once more. Older.
Hopefully wiser. Those 2009 shows were Oasis’ final Wembley performances before the split. The audience didn’t realise it at the time. The band probably didn’t either. But that is how these things play out. Ordinary gigs become significant later.
The Answer
So, when did Oasis last play Wembley Stadium before reuniting? 12 July 2009. Three nights that summer. The band was at their peak, weeks before total collapse. Did Oasis play Wembley in 2000? Yeah, and it was a disaster. Liam was drunk off his face. Tensions through the roof. A live album that needed overdubs to fix the mess. But now they’re back. Seven nights in 2025. Proving that some bands never truly die. They just take very long breaks. And judging by the ticket sales and reviews, people still care. A lot.
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