An Oasis reunion tour – none of us thought we would live to see the day. But warring brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher announced this week that they have set their differences aside to perform a series of gigs next summer.
To Liam’s annoyance, some are asking whether money has anything to do with it. “Your attitude stinks,” he told critics on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Far from being the richest people in the world, there are many stories of famous musicians running out of money once they stop recording, releasing and touring new albums. But with experts suggesting the Oasis reunion tour could gross several hundred million pounds, it looks like the Gallagher brothers could see a generous boost to their net worth over the course of the next year.
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Of course, die hard fans don’t really care what’s incentivised the brothers to set aside their differences, just as long as they manage to bag a ticket to what’s likely to be one of the most iconic tours of the decade.
“Don’t look back in anger” is the anthem of a city and a generation, and fans have been begging the warring brothers to follow the song’s advice for years in the hope of getting the band back together.
Whatever Noel and Liam’s incentive was for finally burying the hatchet – musical, monetary or otherwise – it looks like they will be rewarded handsomely for their efforts. Hype around the reunion tour has reached fever pitch and tickets will almost certainly sell out in a matter of minutes when they are released this weekend. Given how desperate fans are to attend, the industry has already issued several warnings against potential ticket scams.
How much will the Gallagher brothers make from the Oasis reunion?
This summer proved just how lucrative the music industry can be, after Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour arrived in Europe. As well as bringing joy to hundreds of thousands of fans, the tour was estimated to boost the UK economy by nearly £1 billion, according to a report from Barclays. The global tour also boosted Swift’s net worth considerably, helping propel her into billionaire status.
Swift is undeniably a special case as one of the most commercially successful artists of all time, so there is no suggestion that the Gallagher brothers will net as much income from their reunion tour. So far they have only confirmed 14 dates versus Swift’s 152. However, one industry expert told The Sun that the brothers could make as much as £50 million each from the tour.
“With tickets, sponsorship, merchandise and filming, I would predict an income for Noel and Liam of over £50 million each,” Professor Jonathan Shalit, chairman of talent agency InterTalent, told the paper. “This is a tour that could easily gross over £400 million,” he added.
These figures were arrived at on the basis of the confirmed UK and Ireland dates, however it now looks like the brothers might be going global with their tour. If so, they could be set to make even more than experts are currently predicting.
Taylor Swift currently holds the record for the most sold-out Wembley shows played by a solo artist in a single tour, with eight performances. Take That also played eight Wembley shows in their 2011 Progress tour. Some are speculating whether Oasis will announce additional dates after initial tickets go on sale, attempting to surpass the current records.
But it’s not just ticket sales that will boost the Gallagher brothers’ net worth. Income from royalties is likely to prove lucrative too – particularly for Noel who earns the lion’s share as he was the primary songwriter and producer on the band’s music. The Guardian reports that Spotify has seen a 690% increase in the number of daily streams of Oasis songs since the reunion tour was announced.
What’s more, it’s not just the brothers who will be looking to cash in on the reunion. Hotels, merchandise sellers and hospitality providers will be hoping to benefit from the halo effect of the concerts too. Hotels in Manchester have already been accused of hiking prices and cancelling existing bookings for the dates when the brothers are performing in their home city.
What is the Gallagher brothers’ net worth?
Various reports suggest Noel Gallagher’s net worth is in the region of $70 million (£53 million). Meanwhile, Liam Gallagher’s net worth is thought to be around $6 million (£4.5 million), largely because he doesn’t receive as much income from royalties as Noel.
Most reports cite Celebrity Net Worth as their source, however the site often runs into criticism for the lack of transparency around its calculations, so the truth is that this figure could be inaccurate.
Divorce proceedings from both artists do shed further light, though. When Liam got divorced from Nicole Appleton in 2015, the couple reportedly shared assets worth almost £11 million. The judge ruled these should be split in half, with each receiving a £5.5 million share. The pair also spent more than £800,000 on legal bills.
Meanwhile, reports suggest Noel’s divorce from publicist Sara MacDonald last year resulted in her securing a £20 million divorce settlement and the couple’s £8 million family home. It is unclear whether the figure cited by Celebrity Net Worth (£53 million) takes account of the cost of Noel’s divorce proceedings, although the site dates its estimate to mid-2024, after which point the divorce had been finalised.
If you want to know what divorce could mean for your finances, see our article on “Divorce and money: everything you need to know if you are splitting up”.
