Will Oasis Headline Isle of Wight Festival 2025?

update: not part of The Masterplan

Shortly after writing this waffle, Oasis posted an announcement that they wouldn't be playing at any festivals.

​I guess that's a no then?

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For anyone still interested, here's the original blog post we wrote about 30 seconds before that announcement.

Noel Gallagher at the Isle of Wight Festival 2019 (photo courtesy of Isle of Wight Festival)

We love a bit of empty speculation about who might play at the Isle of Wight Festival - and have been making (mostly inaccurate) guesses for several years on our festival page.

So, what about Oasis? Is there any chance they will play at the Isle of Wight Festival in 2025 after announcing a reunion tour? And would you consider it super (sonic) news and finally stop crying your hear out and crack open a bottle of champagne (supernova), or would you just roll with it and say whatever (Ed: alright, we get the idea).

Here's a two sided argument with myself about whether Oasis will play at the Isle of Wight Festival in 2025:

Option 1 - "Yes! Oasis will definitely play at the Isle of Wight Festival 2025!"

John Giddings always gives a good interview and often says what he actually thinks rather than avoiding questions. 

Back in 2016, he was asked by the Isle of Wight County Press who else he would like to perform at future festivals and he mentioned Oasis, Green Day and The Kinks.

Of course, Green Day came true in 2024 whilst either Noel or Liam Gallagher played at the Isle of Wight Festival in 2018, 2019 and 2021 (see ourhistory of the Isle of Wight Festival for full line-ups).

So, it's not a big leap to suggest that John Giddings might like Oasis to play at the Isle of Wight Festival 2025.

On top of that, we know that the timing is quite convenient. The Oasis reunion tour starts in early July, two weeks before the Isle of Wight Festival.

Several news outlets yesterday wrote off the idea that they would play at Glastonbury (one week before the reunion) but there didn't seem to be a writing off of the Isle of Wight Festival.

Plus, let's not forget the list of acts that the Isle of Wight Festival has treated us to over the last 20 years. That includes Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay, David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac and so on (again, it's worth looking through our history of the Isle of Wight Festival if you enjoy a bit of nostalgia). 

In the last three years the big name acts have included Green Day, Muse and Robbie Williams - which are all huge names.

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Option 2 - "No chance, Oasis won't play at the Isle of Wight Festival 2025

There are - I'm afraid to say - quite a few factors which lead me to think that Oasis won't play at the Isle of Wight Festival 2025.

As much discussed, the Isle of Wight Festival has become a much more affordable festival than most of its rivals. 

Back in 2011, the standard price for the Isle of Wight Festival was £175 and Glastonbury was £195 (£20 difference). In 2024, the Isle of Wight Festival was £269 whilst Glastonbury had shot up to £360 (£89 difference). Plus - Islanders could get tickets for £165 in 2024. In other words, Islanders could get tickets in 2024 for a lower price than the standard price from 13 years earlier.

That is extraordinary when we look at how prices of most things have increased in the last 13 years.

Presumably though it does mean that the Isle of Wight Festival has a smaller budget for acts than it did in 2011. The capacity is about the same and its costs for things like toilets, fences and security must have increased just like the everything else.

And honestly, I don't think Oasis will be doing a special offers.

Another factor, of course, is that the Isle of Wight Festival 2025 might have already booked its headliners.

We have already predicted that the headliners could be announced in late October or early November. This is based on when announcements have been made in previous years rather than any inside information (see our festival guide for more details of why we think this).

That's only two months away, so it seems plausible that acts are already pencilled in to perform. 

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Option 3: "I don't like Oasis and don't really care"

I thought I would include this option to save anyone the bother of writing it in the comments.