Further sold-out British and Irish concerts will follow at London\u2019s Wembley Stadium, Edinburgh\u2019s Murrayfield and Dublin\u2019s Croke Park, before the tour\u2019s international leg.<\/p>\n
The band\u2019s 1990s gigs are the stuff of legend but the chance to see them perform again was long seen as a remote prospect, following one of music\u2019s most bitter break-ups.<\/p>\n
An Oasis fan holds up a banner which reads “The great wait is over” in Cardiff ahead of the first show in the band’s long-awaited reunion tour, which kicks off at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.Photo \/ Jordan Pettitt \/ PA Images via Getty ImagesCarnival atmosphere<\/p>\n
Fans began packing Cardiff\u2019s stadium from late afternoon, thrilled at the end of that long hiatus.<\/p>\n
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s gonna be life-changing,\u201d Omar Llamas, 39, who flew in from Mexico for the event, told AFP as he headed inside after the stadium gates opened.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just incredible to be here,\u201d added 30-year-old compatriot Cynthia Flores. \u201cI\u2019m struggling to find the words!<\/p>\n Fans thronging the Welsh capital had travelled from far and wide – including from across the Americas and various European countries – to witness what many were calling a \u201chistoric moment\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve come just for this,\u201d said American Mark Cassidy, 31, who flew to Britain with a friend from New York for the opening concert.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re super-excited – it\u2019s a perfect day for it,\u201d he added as they basked in summer sunshine. \u201cWe\u2019ll have a couple of pints, hang out, and then get in there!\u201d<\/p>\n A carnival-like atmosphere built in central Cardiff on Friday, with hordes of fans decked out in Oasis T-shirts filling the streets as the sound of the band\u2019s various hits drifted through the air.<\/p>\n Crowds packing pubs and outdoor terraces also bellowed out the band\u2019s anthems, while merchandise stands did a brisk trade.<\/p>\n The tour is expected to be a boon for the struggling UK economy, with fans spending on tickets, transport and accommodation.<\/p>\n \u201cI literally can\u2019t wait – I\u2019m so excited!\u201d Kira, a 25-year-old operations manager from Dundee in Scotland, said after splashing out \u00a3130 ($293) at the official merch shop on an Oasis hoodie, poster and T-shirt.<\/p>\n She recounted snagging her two opening night tickets in the frenzied online scramble last summer.<\/p>\n AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWe were so chuffed,\u201d added her friend Kayla. \u201cWe also thought hopefully there was less chance of them splitting up by the first night!\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018Rough and ready\u2019<\/p>\n Oasis announced the comeback tour last August, days before the 30th anniversary of their debut album Definitely Maybe.<\/p>\n The Manchester rockers split acrimoniously in 2009.<\/p>\n The brothers maintained a war of words about each other for more than a decade, performing individually over those years but never together.<\/p>\n The chaotic clamour for tickets after their surprise reunion announcement devolved into outrage over sudden price hikes that saw Britain\u2019s competition watchdog threaten legal action.<\/p>\n Resale tickets costing thousands of pounds have surfaced, while fans have also been targeted by online scams.<\/p>\n