Toronto was buzzing long before Oasis hit the stage. The air around Rogers Stadium felt electric, a mix of excitement and nostalgia—because Oasis shows always come wrapped in that mix of eager anticipation and the kind of loyalty that spans decades. Fans spilled into the venue in waves, waving posters and singing snippets of “Wonderwall” before the lights even dropped.
As the house lights faded, those comforting first bars from the tape—Neil Young’s Rockin’ in the Free World—kicked off the night. Not a note from the band yet, but the crowd was already on their feet, arms raised, starting to sing along, setting the tone for a high-voltage evening.
Next up, another familiar riff blared: “Fuckin’ in the Bushes”—a cheeky, adrenaline-pumping bridge between the anticipation and the main event. By the time the opening chords of “Hello” rang out, the stadium felt like a single living, breathing organism.
Performance and Highlights
Oasis poured out their biggest anthems—“Acquiesce”, “Morning Glory”, “Some Might Say”—all with that signature swagger and undeniable presence. They didn’t just play the songs; they co-existed with them. Every lyric, every cymbal crash felt like the band and crowd were on the same wavelength, connected by the shared memory of those verses.
Then came “Bring It On Down,” a raw, gritty number dedicated to “proper drug-takers, the glue-sniffers.” It was Oasis at their defiant best—unequivocal, brash, and unapologetic, and it had fans absolutely roaring.
“Cigarettes & Alcohol” and “Fade Away” followed, keeping the momentum at full tilt, before Oasis eased things out with the wistful, melodic “Supersonic.”
There was breathing room later for acoustic tenderness with “Talk Tonight” and “Half the World Away”, the latter touching more hearts than a dozen love songs could.
Then came a stretch that was pure adrenaline: “Little by Little,” “D’You Know What I Mean?,” “Stand by Me,” “Cast No Shadow,” “Slide Away,” “Whatever,” and the poignant “Live Forever”, dedicated to “all the people who cannot be here.”
They closed the main set with “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star”—and yes, low expectations got blasted out of the water on that one.
The Setlist
Here’s how the full set shook out, in the exact order:
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Song played from tape: Rockin’ in the Free World
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Song played from tape: Fuckin’ in the Bushes (with Close Encounters of the Third Kind dialogue)
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Hello
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Acquiesce
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Morning Glory
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Some Might Say
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Bring It On Down (dedicated to “them proper drug-takers, the glue-sniffers”)
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Cigarettes & Alcohol
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Fade Away
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Supersonic
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Roll With It
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Talk Tonight
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Half the World Away (dedicated to the Irish)
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Little by Little
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D’You Know What I Mean?
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Stand by Me
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Cast No Shadow
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Slide Away
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Whatever (with a snippet of Octopus’s Garden)
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Live Forever (dedicated to “all the people who cannot be here”)
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Rock ’n’ Roll Star
Encore:
22. The Masterplan
23. Don’t Look Back in Anger
24. Wonderwall
25. Champagne Supernova (with a snippet of Columbia at end, followed by fireworks)
Band Dynamics & Stage Energy
Liam’s voice—same sneer, same vocal swagger, same sprinkled raw emotion—didn’t just deliver the songs; it carried them. Gallagher guitars screeched and shimmered exactly where you’d hope, backed by flawless-rhythm work and killer harmonies. They weren’t interested in stadium grandeur, but in musical intimacy with tens of thousands of fans. And somehow, they nailed it.
Stage presence felt unforced—like a group of mates cracking into their favorite tunes with thousands of friends looking on. Noel’s pearly riffs, Liam’s mic swagger, and that band-wide synergy meant every lyric, every break, felt casually explosive.
Crowd Engagement
It wasn’t just the setlist that made the night—it was what happened with the fans. People in suits next to 20-year-olds in flannel shirts belting out “Live Forever” in perfect unison. Everyone halfway through was chanting “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” voices lifting higher with each note. “Wonderwall” AKA the unofficial anthem of late-night karaoke everywhere felt emotionally powerful, radiating a communal nostalgia.
At “Champagne Supernova,” the sky suddenly lit up with fireworks, confetti, and sheer joy. The stadium sang along, swayed, and lifted each other up in a way only music can.
Production Notes & Vibe
Sound was crushingly clear. Guitars cut through the open-air roar with sharp clarity, vocals were front-and-center, and the whole jam felt dynamically full without losing warmth. Lighting played with those big moments—bright overheads during anthems, tightly-focused spots during quiet, emotional numbers. As the stage melted into fireworks, the “big sky, big music” feeling hit its climax.
Standout Moments
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“Live Forever” is one of those songs that instantly ignites goosebumps—and Toronto lit up beautifully for it.
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“Don’t Look Back in Anger” felt like a hug from every person in the stadium—soft, powerful, and full of communal kindness.
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Hearing “Wonderwall” live—unreal energy, sticky-noted in every fan’s memory.
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The fireworks during “Champagne Supernova”? Simple theatrical magic, made perfect by the backdrop of music.
Flow & Pacing
The setlist was expertly arranged. They started high-energy, softened things up mid-show, then built intensity toward the final third. The encore delivered those essential hits in perfect succession. It never sagged, never dragged—kept you bang-on through the two hours.
Reactions Around Me
I caught half a dozen overheard lines:
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“Best concert I’ve been to in years.”
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“Oasis sound exactly like the records—only bigger and louder.”
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“I didn’t think they still had it—but damn, they do.”
You could feel a grounded excitement: people bounced, whispered lyrics to each other, hugged when their favorite riff hit, and collectively soared with anthems.
Final Takeaway
This wasn’t just a nostalgia gig—it was a living, breathing statement that Oasis still knows how to connect with thousands in the room, in the air, in our bones.
No fancy reinvention needed. Just honest, unapologetic music, delivered by a band with swagger, heart, and the songs to back it. They came to play, and Toronto answered—loudly, proudly, and altogether.
Oasis at Rogers Stadium in August 2025 was the kind of show that recasts the myth in your mind: yes, they were legendary in the ‘90s—but damn, they can still light up a crowd with the same fire they always had.