Slane organisers want Oasis to headline next year
Exclusive: The Gallagher brothers famously played at the iconic Meath venue in 2009, and concert bosses want them to return following their long-awaited reunion
Slane Castle is set to return next year – and concert organisers have revealed Oasis are top of their wish list.
The Manchester-born band supported REM at Slane in 1995 and headlined in June 2009, supported by The Prodigy and Kasabian.
Brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher have announced they have reunited after a 15-year hiatus with a string of dates across the UK and Ireland in July and August next year, with Croke Park confirmed as the venue of choice on August 16 and 17.
But fans are speculating that more Irish dates could be announced and the son of rock aristocrat Lord Henry Mountcharles said he would love to see the feuding brothers back on stage again at the Co Meath venue.
Speaking exclusively to the Irish Mirror, Alex said: “I would [love to have them play Slane Castle]. I would always be an Oasis fan anyway. They would always be welcomed back to Slane. I was watching an interview with Noel who recounted when they played in support of REM.
“It was their first outdoor show they had ever done at that time so I think Slane will always have a place in their history for that reason. I’m a big fan of the band. Always have been since they started and I’ll never forget that gig when they supported REM and the headline show was an outstanding Slane.
“But I wish them all the best for Croke Park. If they want to come to Slane, then ‘walk on by’.”
Alex recalled meeting Noel when they played at the iconic Meath venue, calling him “extremely sound” as the pair indulged in conversation about their children.
“He was extremely sound. A lovely fella and we ended up talking about kids and all kinds of things. We both had young kids at the time. He’s a stand-up man. I remember watching Liam in the audience at a U2 gig as well and he was one of the people jumping around really enjoying himself, like myself.”
Asked if any contact had been made to get them on the bill for next year, Alex said: “Sometimes we talk to them but sometimes we work very closely with MCD and they’ll put those artists to us but the buck stops with dad.”
Alex said his father Lord Mountcharles “is doing well” as he battles lung cancer. “He’s good. He’s doing well.”
Asked if Slane Castle is set to return next year, after not hosting any concerts since Harry Styles last year, Alex added: "I hope so. That is definitely our intention."
Speaking in 2021 marking 40 years of concerts on the grounds of Slane Castle, Henry spoke of how homegrown acts always go down a storm with crowds at the iconic music venue, and the buzz Oasis created when they headlined in 2009.
“There was great craic with the Gallaghers because of their Duleek connections, and lots of carry-on over the show,” said Lord Mountcharles at the time.
“Liam wasn’t talking to Noel, and one came by helicopter, and one by limousine. We were very lucky – they had a big bust-up afterwards in Paris, thank God it didn’t happen in Slane," he added.
“But if a call came in the morning saying the guys were back together and would I be up for it – I’d say yes straight away!”
Meanwhile, Oasis are set to rake in almost €15 million in ticket sales for their two Croke Park Dublin dates.
Oasis are set to play two dates at Dublin’s Croke Park on August 16 and 17, with 160,000 fans expected to pay prices starting from €86.50 plus booking fee to see them at the iconic stadium.
And bookies Boylesports – who tipped the band to announce two Croke Park dates – are already backing the band to announce more dates with 1/5 odds that Croke Park’s gig quota could be filled in 2025 by Oasis.
Fans rejoiced on Tuesday morning when the worst-kept secret was finally revealed in a long-awaited statement on social media. Oasis wrote: “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised.”
Fans are being warned there will be no pre-sale for Oasis tickets, and it will be on a “first come, first served” basis when tickets go on general sale at 8am on Saturday for their two Dublin dates.
Oasis will play in five cities across Ireland and the UK – Cardiff, Manchester, London, Edinburgh and Dublin – in the summer of 2025.
Plans are underway for OASIS LIVE ’25 to go to other countries outside of Europe later next year. This will be one of the biggest live moments and hottest tickets of the decade.
This Thursday represents 30 years to the day since their electrifying debut album ‘Definitely Maybe’ was released, while 2025 will see the equally essential second record ‘(What’s The Story) Morning Glory?’ reach that same anniversary.
Record executive, Alan McGee, who discovered Oasis, says the band's reunion is "good for music". Alan signed the rock band to his label, Creation Records, after unwittingly watching them perform at the bottom of a bill in Glasgow in 1993.
Sharing the news of their reunion on Instagram, Mr McGee said it was "good for music, good for them, good for us".
But those hoping to secure tickets to their Croke Park gigs should budget for potentially eye-watering accommodation costs if staying in the capital for the gigs.
While fans are understandably feeling 'Supersonic' after the announcement, some shared their disappointment across social media as hotel prices shot through the roof with news that the Britpop icons would headline the two dates, as they did when Coldplay and Taylor Swift both announced their dates.
Although there are still plenty of hotels, dorms and apartments in Dublin across the two nights, some are more affordable than others, and with some the price really does reflect the standard.
For Saturday, while prices remain in the three-figure bracket, ultimately it is slim pickings, with only a handful of hotels available at the time of writing on Booking.com for that date, although there are still plenty of hotels in the surrounding area.
The most expensive suite on Saturday is at the Shelbourne Hotel, landing at €800 for one night for one adult, followed by the Iveagh Garden Hotel with a room costing a whopping €675 for just one person. The third most expensive is the Zanzibar Locke, which will set you back €637 for only one night and, if you want to go for some privacy, you could check out the Luxurious Villa in South Dublin for €629.
Don’t let these three dissuade you from heading up to catch Oasis for their return, as there are still a handful of places ranging from €300 to €500 for the night, for just one person (bar the Albany House which will set you back €562 for the night or the Beckett Locke for €538).
If comfort or privacy isn’t your top priority, then you could grab a single bed in one of the many dorms around the city for between €50 and €200 for the night, although you may be sacrificing a good night’s sleep to save a few extra euro.
Sunday sees some insane prices for accommodation at the time of writing, blowing Saturday’s prices out of the water. The most expensive property is the Old Dublin ‘Four sisters’ for €1,250, although there are a number of beds in the room, which could bring the price down.
If you fancy a room at the Herbert Park Hotel and Park Residence, you will be paying €939 for one night of 'Champagne Supernova' madness. As with Saturday, the Iveagh Garden Hotel will set you back €675, while the Fitzsimons Hotel Temple Bar is going for €646 a night.
The Zanzibar Locke is a bit cheaper, with a room going for €554, while the Dublin Citi Hotel of Temple Bar is offering rooms for €526 per night and the Albany House putting rooms up for €516.
As with Saturday, there are plenty of properties available for between €300 and €500, with a handful of dorms or shared accommodation on offer for between €20 and €200, but again comfort may be sacrificed.
Music expert Kevin McManus has suggested that demand for Oasis tickets could "absolutely dwarf" that seen for Taylor Swift's monster Eras Tour. He told the Irish Mirror that "everybody is going to try and get a ticket".
"Taylor Swift was obviously the big deal this summer, I think it's going to absolutely dwarf that, just because it's them and there's that talk," he said.
He added that four percent of the population had tried to get tickets for Oasis's two 1996 Knebworth shows – their biggest ever gigs.
"They sold out 250,000 tickets, but it was a ridiculous amount of people who tried to buy tickets, they were that huge. But this, because people have been talking about it for the past decade, it's going to be even bigger," said Mr McManus.
Tickets for the UK dates go on sale from 9am on Saturday, August 31 and will be available from www.ticketmaster.co.uk, www.gigsandtours.com and www.seetickets.com. Dublin tickets will be available from 8am that same day from www.ticketmaster.ie.
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