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Business Times
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Business Times
Oasis reunion tour promises staggering revenues for each Gallagher sibling
FIFTEEN years after their explosive split, British music legends Liam and Noel Gallagher are reuniting for an Oasis tour that promises not only Britpop nostalgia but also staggering revenues. While Liam has insisted that money is 'way down the list' of reasons for the feuding brothers' reunion, British press reports have suggested that each sibling could pocket around £50 million (S$87 million). Matt Grimes, a music industry expert at Birmingham City University, offered a slightly more conservative estimate of around £40 million per Gallagher for the 17 UK dates alone. Oasis, whose hits include Wonderwall, Don't Look Back in Anger and Champagne Supernova, kick off the reunion tour on Jul 4 in Cardiff before playing several dates in their home city of Manchester the following week. Almost 1.4 million tickets have been sold for the UK shows, generating an estimated £240 million, according to Barclays bank. And that is just the beginning. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up Merchandise sales, from T-shirts and puzzles to baby clothes and tableware, plus six pop-up shops across the UK and Ireland could push total revenue to around £400 million, Grimes said. The 24 concerts outside the UK, including in Buenos Aires, Chicago, Sydney, Tokyo and Toronto, will drive revenues even higher. Chaotic scramble for tickets Still, the money from the return of Oasis is dwarfed by Taylor Swift's record-breaking Eras Tour, which grossed US$2.2 billion from ticket sales alone across 149 shows worldwide. It was 'a much bigger logistical event or sets of events than Oasis are proposing', Grimes said. There was a chaotic scramble for prized Oasis tickets when they went on sale in August last year. But fans were left outraged by exorbitant ticket costs that saw sudden price hikes – known as dynamic pricing – based on overwhelming demand, in some cases from £150 to £350. Ticketmaster, one of the official sales websites, said that the pricing decision was made by the 'tour organiser'. Oasis pointed the finger at their promoter. The Gallagher brothers' promotional plan, however, was minimal: two posts on social media – one to tease, the other to confirm. 'The fact that they announced a reunion after many, many years of 'will they, won't they' is enough to make the press interested,' Chris Anderton, professor of cultural economics at the University of Southampton, told AFP. £1 billion economic boost For Oasis there is no new album to promote, just classics to revive. 'In the 1970s, even maybe the 1980s, you went on tour to sell albums,' Anderton said. 'Now you go on tour to make money and the album is something on the side – if you make one at all.' Definitely Maybe, released 30 years ago, climbed back to the top of UK sales charts on the back of the reunion tour announcement. Each Oasis concertgoer will spend an average of £766 on tickets and outgoings such as transport and accommodation, according to Barclays. That is set to inject £1 billion into the British economy. Two key shifts help explain the rise of mega-tours, said Cecile Rap-Veber, managing director at the French artists' rights group Sacem. On one hand, streaming 'doesn't bring in as much money as the CD era', prompting artists to look at how to make money elsewhere, she said. On the other, 'the public's appetite for live shows' surged after the lockdown years of the Covid-19 pandemic. Those factors make fans more willing to spend big. Grimes sums up the choice: 'Do I go to... Spain or maybe the south of France for a week's holiday that's going to cost me £600? Or do I go and see my favourite band?' AFP
France 24
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- France 24
Oasis: from clash to cash
While Liam has insisted that money is "way down the list" of reasons for the feuding brothers' reunion, British press reports have suggested that each sibling could pocket around £50 million ($67 million). Matt Grimes, a music industry expert at Birmingham City University, offered a slightly more conservative estimate of around £40 million per Gallagher for the 17 UK dates alone. Oasis, whose hits include "Wonderwall", "Don't Look Back in Anger" and "Champagne Supernova", kick off the reunion tour on July 4 in Cardiff before playing several dates in their home city of Manchester the following week. Almost 1.4 million tickets have been sold for the UK shows, generating an estimated £240 million, according to Barclays bank. And that's just the beginning. Merchandise sales, from T-shirts and puzzles to baby clothes and tableware, plus six pop-up shops across the UK and Ireland could push total revenue to around £400 million, Grimes said. The 24 concerts outside the UK, including in Buenos Aires, Chicago, Sydney, Tokyo and Toronto, will drive revenues even higher. - Comeback tour- Still, the money from the return of Oasis is dwarfed by Taylor Swift's record-breaking Eras Tour, which grossed $2.2 billion from ticket sales alone across 149 shows worldwide. It was "a much bigger logistical event or sets of events than Oasis are proposing", Grimes said. There was a chaotic scramble for prized Oasis tickets when they went on sale in August last year. But fans were left outraged by exorbitant ticket costs that saw sudden price hikes -- known as dynamic pricing -- based on overwhelming demand, in some cases from £150 to £350. Ticketmaster, one of the official sales websites, said the pricing decision was made by the "tour organiser". Oasis pointed the finger at their promoter. The Gallagher brothers' promotional plan, however, was minimal: two posts on social media -- one to tease, the other to confirm. "The fact that they announced a reunion after many, many years of 'will they, won't they' is enough to make the press interested," Chris Anderton, professor of cultural economics at the University of Southampton, told AFP. £1 bn economic boost For Oasis there's no new album to promote, just classics to revive. "In the 1970s, even maybe the 1980s, you went on tour to sell albums," Anderton said. "Now you go on tour to make money and the album is something on the side -- if you make one at all." "Definitely Maybe", released 30 years ago, climbed back to the top of UK sales charts on the back of the reunion tour announcement. Each Oasis concertgoer will spend an average of £766 on tickets and outgoings such as transport and accommodation, according to Barclays. That is set to inject £1 billion into the British economy. Two key shifts help explain the rise of mega-tours, said Cecile Rap-Veber, managing director at the French artists' rights group Sacem. On one hand, streaming "doesn't bring in as much money as the CD era", prompting artists to look at how to make money elsewhere, she said. On the other, "the public's appetite for live shows" surged after the lockdown years of the Covid-19 pandemic. Those factors make fans more willing to spend big. © 2025 AFP
Int'l Business Times
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Int'l Business Times
Oasis: From Clash To Cash
Fifteen years after their explosive split, British music legends Liam and Noel Gallagher are reuniting for an Oasis tour that promises not only Britpop nostalgia but also staggering revenues. While Liam has insisted that money is "way down the list" of reasons for the feuding brothers' reunion, British press reports have suggested that each sibling could pocket around GBP50 million ($67 million). Matt Grimes, a music industry expert at Birmingham City University, offered a slightly more conservative estimate of around GBP40 million per Gallagher for the 17 UK dates alone. Oasis, whose hits include "Wonderwall", "Don't Look Back in Anger" and "Champagne Supernova", kick off the reunion tour on July 4 in Cardiff before playing several dates in their home city of Manchester the following week. Almost 1.4 million tickets have been sold for the UK shows, generating an estimated GBP240 million, according to Barclays bank. And that's just the beginning. Merchandise sales, from T-shirts and puzzles to baby clothes and tableware, plus six pop-up shops across the UK and Ireland could push total revenue to around GBP400 million, Grimes said. The 24 concerts outside the UK, including in Buenos Aires, Chicago, Sydney, Tokyo and Toronto, will drive revenues even higher. Still, the money from the return of Oasis is dwarfed by Taylor Swift's record-breaking Eras Tour, which grossed $2.2 billion from ticket sales alone across 149 shows worldwide. It was "a much bigger logistical event or sets of events than Oasis are proposing", Grimes said. There was a chaotic scramble for prized Oasis tickets when they went on sale in August last year. But fans were left outraged by exorbitant ticket costs that saw sudden price hikes -- known as dynamic pricing -- based on overwhelming demand, in some cases from GBP150 to GBP350. Ticketmaster, one of the official sales websites, said the pricing decision was made by the "tour organiser". Oasis pointed the finger at their promoter. The Gallagher brothers' promotional plan, however, was minimal: two posts on social media -- one to tease, the other to confirm. "The fact that they announced a reunion after many, many years of 'will they, won't they' is enough to make the press interested," Chris Anderton, professor of cultural economics at the University of Southampton, told AFP. For Oasis there's no new album to promote, just classics to revive. "In the 1970s, even maybe the 1980s, you went on tour to sell albums," Anderton said. "Now you go on tour to make money and the album is something on the side -- if you make one at all." "Definitely Maybe", released 30 years ago, climbed back to the top of UK sales charts on the back of the reunion tour announcement. Each Oasis concertgoer will spend an average of GBP766 on tickets and outgoings such as transport and accommodation, according to Barclays. That is set to inject GBP1 billion into the British economy. Two key shifts help explain the rise of mega-tours, said Cecile Rap-Veber, managing director at the French artists' rights group Sacem. On one hand, streaming "doesn't bring in as much money as the CD era", prompting artists to look at how to make money elsewhere, she said. On the other, "the public's appetite for live shows" surged after the lockdown years of the Covid-19 pandemic. Those factors make fans more willing to spend big. Grimes sums up the choice: "Do I go to... Spain or maybe the south of France for a week's holiday that's going to cost me GBP600? Or do I go and see my favourite band?" A mural by the artist known as Snow Graffiti of Liam and Noel Gallagher outside the Whitefield pub in Manchester, where they will play in July AFP
The Guardian
14-04-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
‘Welcome green shoots': warm March weather gives 1.1% lift to UK retail sales
Warm weather in March helped give a lift to retailers despite a late Easter, with sales of gardening, DIY, food, and health and beauty products getting a boost from the spring sunshine. Purchases for Mother's Day also helped retail sales climb 1.1% last month, according to a British Retail Consortium-KPMG survey, keeping pace with February despite trading against a much stronger period a year before and a downturn in visitor numbers on high streets and in retail parks as more sales shifted online. Helen Dickinson, the chief executive of the BRC, said: 'Despite a challenging global geopolitical landscape, the small increase in both food and non-food sales masked signs of underlying strengthening of demand given March 2025's comparison with last year's early Easter. 'The improving weather made for a particularly strong final week, with gardening and DIY equipment flying off the shelves.' Spending in garden centres increased by 13.4% last month, according to separate figures from Barclays bank. However experts said growth may have peaked as spending on big-ticket items, such as sofas and TVs, remained weak as consumer confidence fell in the light of concerns about the impact of US trade tariffs and the UK government tax increases on businesses, which kicked off this month. Dickinson warned that the increase in national insurance contributions for employers and new payments related to packaging recycling would 'undoubtedly increase inflation later in the year and hold back critical investment in high streets across the country'. Jobs surveys have shown levels of unemployment rising and job vacancies falling as employers shelve investment plans and become more reluctant about hiring. Households cut spending on essentials such as groceries, petrol and energy bills during the month, according to Barclays, as they prepared for expected price rises, prioritised holidays and splashed out on electronics and digital subscriptions. Karen Johnson, the head of retail at Barclays Corporate Banking, said there were 'welcome green shoots' as the warmer weather encouraged consumers to invest in gardening and DIY but households were adopting 'prudent budgeting'. 'Consumers are feeling the pressure of rising bills, alongside being mindful of the impact recent global events may have on their finances,' she said. Households have been hit with a range of tax and price rises, from an average council tax rise of almost 5%, food inflation on basics such as butter, and water bill increases that in the Thames area and south-west England have risen by more than 30%. 'We may have already seen the peak for some time,' said Sarah Bradbury, the chief executive of the grocery trade body IGD. The stock market value of major supermarkets has fallen as companies prepare for a price war. The fight for a share of straitened household budgets is led by Asda, which is struggling to hold on to its position as the UK's third largest chain. Linda Ellett, the UK head of consumer, retail and leisure at KPMG, said the modest rate of sales growth as costs rise 'means there are some retailers really struggling whilst others win, especially online'.
Telegraph
07-04-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Market meltdown: should you sell your shares – or buy?
Investors are nursing heavy losses on what some market watchers have called 'Black Monday' after Donald Trump's tariffs sent stock markets into meltdown. The FTSE 100 has tumbled to a one-year low amid fears a global trade war could plunge the UK into recession. The US president has so far showed no signs of backing down on his sweeping tariff plans despite warnings they could drive the economy into a downturn. The London stock market opened 6pc down today having suffered its biggest decline since the pandemic on Friday. The S&P 500 also dropped and is now officially in bear market territory. Even gold, traditionally seen as a safe haven asset, is down from record highs. But is now the time to buy? The world's most famous investor's most famous quote seems pertinent. In his 1986 letter to shareholders, Warren Buffett wrote: 'We simply attempt to be fearful when others are greedy and to be greedy only when others are fearful'. Might this be good advice today? Here, Telegraph Money explains what investors need to do to protect their portfolio. Is it time to sell, or cash in, on the stock market bloodbath? Which investments have been hardest hit? Aerospace business Melrose Industries, Barclays bank and defence company Babcock International Group were the worst hit FTSE 100 stocks as investors ran for cover. Darius McDermott, of advice firm Chelsea Financial Services, said: 'Banks have borne the brunt of the sell-off, with names like Barclays down 20pc since Trump's tariffs were announced. Oil majors such as BP and Shell have also suffered heavy losses.' Some funds have a particularly large allocation to the top 20 FTSE fallers. Artemis UK Select Fund has the biggest exposure, representing 28pc of its overall holdings. It is followed by the BNY Mellon UK Equity Fund, 24pc of which is invested in beleaguered UK stocks. Tim Lucas, portfolio manager of the BNY Investments UK Income fund, said: 'Companies have a way of adjusting and adapting to changes in their situations, particularly when considered over a meaningful time period. 'As and when shares fall heavily, this can therefore provide opportunities to selectively increase weightings in areas in which we are most convinced at much lower prices. 'Ultimately, the important thing is to maintain flexibility and valuation discipline so as to take advantage of these market moves.' Artemis said its fund managers 'will be sitting tight'. Tech-heavy funds have also taken a hit with Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust down 7pc today. Should you buy stocks now? Opportunistic investors could be tempted to bag quality London-listed stocks and funds while they are cheap – 'buying the dip' in the industry jargon. Mr McDermott said Artemis UK Select could be an attractive option for bargain hunters. 'The fund has outperformed the wider UK market across multiple time periods – and after the recent sell-off, entry points look compelling for the long-term investor. However, there is still substantial uncertainty.' However, anyone considering buying the dip must remember that prices could fall further still as there is no telling when the market will bottom. President Trump announced tariffs on the US's trading partners last week which were more extensive than expected. The Federal Reserve's chairman has warned the plan is likely to raise prices and slow economic growth. Economists at investment bank JP Morgan have upgraded the risk of a global recession from 40pc to 60pc. Mr McDermott said: 'Although the FTSE 100 is a UK index, it is packed with global companies that depend on the kind of free trade Trump is threatening to upend – so it's no surprise this has been one of the hardest-hit areas of the market.' Where to invest The market sell-off has been indiscriminate but some stocks have been less severely impacted than others. Mr McDermott says: 'Investors have found some shelter in consumer staples. Companies like Unilever, down just 3.5pc, are holding up better, as they produce the everyday essentials consumers continue to buy, even in tougher times.' Gold is often seen as a safe haven asset because of its ability to hold value even during economic downturns. But even gold has fallen for a third session as investors rushed to take profit and move money into cash, while bitcoin, the most popular cryptocurrency, is also down. Mr McDermott said the 'only real refuge' is government bonds. A 10-year gilt yields 4.5pc right now, down from closer to 4.8pc at the start of last week. Gilts are considered low risk because the UK government has never defaulted on its debt. However, investors sitting on losses should think twice about buying up so-called 'safe haven' assets, which can be expensive. Laith Khalaf, of stockbroker AJ Bell, said: 'If you're looking at moving out of shares and into safe haven assets right now, the risk is that you're moving from an asset which is currently out of favour and into those which are highly prized. 'The current flight to safety may continue, and no-one knows how long that may last, but by moving out of shares you risk missing out on any rebound, which could be damaging to your long-term wealth.' Michael Walsh, of T. Rowe Price, said the investment management firm was generally cautious and holding cash to take advantage of market opportunities. Increasingly, he said, the company think there are better opportunities outside the US. 'We have added to the UK and also to emerging markets, where attractive valuations and improving sentiment is supported by dovish central banks, expected increased defence spending and other stimulus measures.' One in three wealth managers reduced their exposure to the US in the first quarter of the year, according to research firm Asset Risk Consultants. Plunging stock markets could prompt some investors to shift from passive to active strategies where managers attempt to use their stock-picking skills to beat the returns you can get cheaply by simply buying the whole market. In recent years, active funds have generally failed to beat their low-cost passive counterparts amid a technology boom. But this trend could now reverse, Mr Khalaf said. Mr Khalaf added: 'An active strategy may once again be called for seeing as over two thirds of a global tracker fund will be invested in the US stock market. 'This was a market which was already priced for perfection and the potential for an economic slowdown as a result of tariffs could be felt particularly heavily in the US.' Balancing your portfolio Looking at the equity markets and then at your own portfolio it will be easy to panic. Global stock markets have suffered a blow on Monday trading with some hitting record lows for recent years. Germany's Dax dropped by 10.4pc after the US president compared the tariffs to 'medicine'. James Norton, of passive investment manager Vanguard Europe, said: 'We know with human behaviour that when markets go up investors are happy and they tend to buy more. When markets are going down fear kicks in and they want to sell. It is a very natural human emotion but it is not right.' Instead, said Mr Norton, investors should check whether their circumstances have changed and whether they still have the balance in their portfolio that they are looking for. 'If their circumstances have changed then they need to look at the construction of their portfolio – the split between equalities and bonds. Ask yourself, is that balance where it should be for you and the level of risk you want to be taking?' he said. For example, if your portfolio is set up to be 80pc equity and 20pc bonds but the market fall means it is now 70pc equity and 30pc bonds, that is no longer your preferred risk. As a result you may not be as well positioned to benefit when the market bounces back. So despite it feeling counter-intuitive, Mr Norton suggested it is worth looking at selling safe income assets, such as bonds, and buying more equities to get back to your desired weighting. 'We are not saying we are at the market bottom, we are aligning the level of risk of the portfolio to where the investor wants to be so that when the market does bottom out they have the market allocation they want to benefit from the bounce,' Mr Norton added. Consider buying bonds However, that does not mean you should disregard diversification. Mr Norton said that fixed income assets, primarily bonds, are the most important asset class often overlooked by investors. He suggests that high quality bonds are currently offering good returns for a low level of risk. Ed Monk, of broker Fidelity International agrees, despite noting that the risk of higher inflation traditionally makes fixed income assets less attractive as it erodes the value of the amount they pay. However, Mr Monk said: 'High quality government bonds begin to look very attractive when returns from riskier assets, like shares, are in question. Unlike corporate bonds issued by companies, that face a raised risk of default during a recession, government bonds carry very low default-risk.' Mr Khalaf added: 'So far this year the typical global equity fund has seen its value fall by 9.4pc. For a typical cautious managed fund, which holds a maximum 60pc in shares, the fall has been just 1.4pc. Over the long term, full exposure to the stock market will probably still deliver higher returns, but with much more volatility along the way.'
