Among the 50,000-strong crowd were also thousands of younger listeners who had discovered the band after their 2009 split via music streaming services, not through record stores or radio.

The sold-out Oct. 25 gig marked a symbolic moment for both generations. It showed how, in the digital subscription era, music from decades past could circulate as freely as the latest hits, bridging the gap between those who once bought Oasis albums on CD and those who stream them on platforms like Spotify.

"I discovered Oasis through [Alexandros], a Japanese band I was a fan of. I thought this might be my first and last chance to see them," said one concertgoer, a 23-year-old apparel store clerk from Chiba prefecture.

The crowd erupted as Mancunian brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher appeared on the stage, their hands held aloft, a moment of unity after years of feuding.

The swagger was still there: Liam, hands clasped behind his back, stared down the crowd as he growled through classics like "Some Might Say" and "Wonderwall”, with fans of all ages joining in.

"[Back in the day] they looked so effortlessly cool, smoking and drinking while playing. Their sibling rivalry was thrilling, too," said Miho Hayashi, 48, a company employee from Toyama city who has been a fan since high school.

She attended the concert with her teenage daughter, who grew up hearing the band's songs "like lullabies”.

Oasis perform before a packed crowd on Oct. 25, 2025, at the majestic Tokyo Dome. (Kyodo/Sony Music Labels)

The cross-generational enthusiasm extended far beyond the concert venue.

In the days leading up to the show, Miyashita Park in Tokyo’s Shibuya ward was transformed into an Oasis-themed hub, with digital billboards looping music videos and a pop-up shop selling T-shirts and posters as well as Japan-exclusive merchandise, such as teacups.

"The reunion is like a festival," said one woman in her 30s, who spent over 20,000 yen (US$130) on merch, including a Gallagher-themed acrylic stand.

"Fans want something physical to connect with," explained Kumiko Muto of Sony Music Entertainment.

"They collect items as part of their fandom activities. In that sense, Oasis fans today aren't that different from fans of pop idols."

The data backs up this renewed interest.

According to American research firm Luminate, the week Oasis's reunion was announced in August saw around 120 million streams of their music worldwide, more than triple the previous week's total. When the reunion tour began in July, weekly plays again exceeded 100 million.

Oasis fans take photos outside Tokyo Dome ahead of the band’s Oct. 25, 2025, Tokyo concert. (Kyodo/-)

That spike reflects a broader transformation in global music listening habits. In the streaming era, so-called "catalog" music, or older albums released more than 18 months ago, now accounts for the majority of listening.

Luminate reports that in the United States market last year, new releases made up just 26.7 percent of streams while catalog albums comprised 73.3 percent. In rock music, the dominance of older material was even greater.

For younger fans, the algorithm has replaced the record shop clerk. Songs from the 1990s surface alongside current chart-toppers, blurring the sense of musical generations.

As the final notes of "Stand by Me" rang out at Tokyo Dome, Liam sang the line, "Sing me something new."

But the concert itself suggests that what's "new" has taken on a different meaning.

In a world where decades of music coexist in one endless library, Oasis's return is more than nostalgia. It's proof that, for a generation raised on streaming, Britpop still sounds brand new.