Steven Knight’s theory on why the Oasis reunion happened when it did

EntertainmentMusic
4 Sep 2026 • 6:02 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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Steven Knight’s theory on why the Oasis reunion happened when it did

Director Steven Knight has offered a potential explanation for why the Oasis reunion happened when it did.

The Peaky Blinders creator is behind the forthcoming documentary about the Manchester rock band and their 2025 world tour, titled Don’t Look Back in Anger, which is being released this month.

For the project, he was granted behind-the-scenes access as once-warring brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher rehearsed and were reunited onstage for the first time since the band’s split in 2009.

In a new interview, Knight, who is also writing the next James Bond film, said he believed that the brothers’ getting older had helped them bury their animosity towards one another.

“You start throwing all this crap away,” he told the Times. “In your twenties you’re so full of it, angry and easily offended. Then you get older and realise: all that’s left is who you really are.

“And it became apparent, during the tour, that Noel and Liam are similar people. They’re both very funny and they speak the truth.”

In the same interview, Knight said that Noel had “no idea” there would be such interest in an Oasis reunion: “They hadn’t recorded anything for years, they hadn’t been promoting the old albums, but the music had been passed down through generations in their absence.”

Noel apparently cast doubt on the idea of the band playing stadiums. “He thought they’d be playing arenas,” Knight said. “The second shock came when Liam and Noel first went out on stage at Cardiff and felt the emotion. People were in tears.”

Steven Knight (right) with ‘Peaky Blinders’ star Cillian Murphy (Netflix)

Fans are poised for what seems like an imminent announcement for a new Oasis tour.

Noel recently joked about Liam not being “into Oasis anymore” after hearing that Liam had quit social media.

“Well, then there must be something happening,” Noel responded during an interview on talkSport’s Drive. “Let’s put it this way: there’s no football tournament on next year, so we’ve got to do something in the summer, right?”

The official Oasis social media accounts shared a teaser clip this week of two boys in a fish and chip shop, with a number of clues seemingly hidden around the video that fans believe allude to dates and locations for a 2027 tour.

Don’t Look Back in Anger is in cinemas from 9 September.

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