Oasis sort free 'Gallagher Hill' t-shirts for fans

BBC News

4 days ago

Oasis fans who gathered at so-called Gallagher Hill for the band's final Manchester homecoming tour date were treated to special free t-shirts.Thousands of fans have been soaking up the atmosphere of the gigs on the hill, which took on cult status over weekend despite efforts to close it off with a fence.On Sunday night, at the band's behest, some 1,000 black t-shirts emblazoned with the words 'Gallagher Hill' were handed out as crowds partied and enjoyed the acoustics drifting from the official stage in Heaton Park, Prestwich. Noel Gallagher's daughter Anais Gallagher posted about the t-shirts on her Instagram account with the caption: "Oasis giving these out on Gallagher Hill is [heart emoji]."
News of the hill spread after the band's first show on 11 July, when ticketless fans realised the stage was visible from an elevated area in the park. Additional fencing was put up last Tuesday ahead of the next set of show dates, with Manchester City Council urging people to not attend - but thousands continued to go.
Fans posted on social media about being handed the t-shirts for free, saying they were told the band had arranged the giveaway. The previous night, frontman Liam had dedicated a performance of the 1994 hit Bring It On Down to those on the mound.Some of the t-shirts have since appeared on eBay, with prices for replicas starting at about £16 - and prices for apparently genuine t-shirts hitting £2,556.16. Sunday's show marked the final Manchester date of the Live '25 comeback tour, before the Burnage-born brothers next head to Wembley Arena in London.
There were some complaints about the mess left behind by the estimated 10,000 strong crowds on the hill.Bury councillor Alan Quinn said the rubbish left behind was "shameful".He told BBC Radio Manchester: "At the end of the day, people could have taken the litter home with them. "If they brought the litter in, take it home, they could have even left it in one spot to make it easier for the workers, the litter-pickers to pick it up. "But it's strewn everywhere."
Meanwhile, Greater Manchester Police have thanked the 300,000 concert-goers for their good behaviour during the Heaton Park shows.The force said over the five events there were no major incidents, with only five arrests recorded on Sunday. Assistant Chief Constable Matt Boyle, lead police commander for the Oasis events, said planning for the concert had been "months in the making". "We've now seen all five Oasis events pass without any major issues and I'm pleased that the overwhelming majority of people attending have enjoyed themselves and behaved sensibly and responsibly," he said.
Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.