Liam Gallagher eyeing his watch inside the Palazzo del Cinema, mouthing "Should we fuck off?" was probably not the image Disney had in mind for the world premiere of its new Oasis documentary. But it fit the night perfectly.
The world premiere of Oasis: Don't Look Back in Anger at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday drew an eight-minute standing ovation, with fans singing, cheering and at points weeping inside the Sala Grande theater. According to Variety, the atmosphere was unlike anything Venice typically sees, with one observer noting it was likely the closest the festival has come to hosting an actual rock concert.
The documentary, directed by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace, charts the Oasis Live '25 reunion tour, which marked the first time Liam and Noel Gallagher had performed together since 2009. The film was created by Peaky Blinders writer Steven Knight and followed the band across 12 concerts on three continents. It includes previously unseen rehearsal footage, backstage and onstage material, and the brothers' first joint interview in more than 20 years.
The Gallagher brothers skipped the morning press conference but arrived at the Sala Grande to a reception that felt more like a stadium show. Italian fans lined the red carpet in bucket hats and band merchandise, singing along to Wonderwall and Acquiesece while waiting. When Liam and Noel finally arrived, it was through the cinema's entrance rather than the traditional car drop at the start of the carpet, triggering immediate screams, according to Variety. Fans chanted "Oasis! Oasis! Oasis!" as the brothers signed autographs separately before coming together for photographs.
Inside the theater, the rowdiness continued through the screening. Attendees clapped after live performances in the film and sang along to Champagne Supernova. The Hollywood Reporter noted that before the film began, a fan in the balcony unveiled a banner reading "Oasis Live 25 Buenos Aires" and began chanting. When someone shouted a question from the gallery, Liam called back that "Venice is a lovely place" before sitting down with his brother to watch.
As the lights came up after the two-hour runtime, the audience erupted. During the ovation, Liam initially appeared ready to leave. A member of the filmmaking team persuaded him to stay. He then walked down from the upper level to sign autographs for fans crowding the floor. Variety reported that all hell broke loose when the Gallaghers descended into the crowd, turning the theater into a mild mosh pit as fans pushed for selfies and signatures. At one point, Noel appeared to be wiping tears from his eyes while Liam worked the crowd. Eventually, Liam grabbed Noel's hand and they raised their arms together to sustained cheering.
Southern and Lovelace previously directed the 2012 LCD Soundsystem film Shut Up and Play the Hits and the 2022 documentary Meet Me in the Bathroom, which revisited the early-2000s New York scene that produced the Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Interpol and others. They also collaborated on the Blur documentary No Distance Left to Run.
The Oasis reunion tour last year sold out immediately and generated significant commercial attention. Tickets disappeared within hours of going on sale, and the tour went on to span multiple continents. The documentary captures the comeback that millions of fans had waited 16 years to see.
Oasis: Don't Look Back in Anger is scheduled for a limited theatrical release on September 11, with a Disney+ streaming launch to follow later this year.
