Starting September 23, the film will be screened all around the world. Then – Noel promises – a live album of the two historical nights will be released as well.
Oasis have announced the release of the long-awaited Knebworth film documentary, “Oasis Knebworth 1996”.
The film will be screened in worldwide cinemas from September 23. Tickets will go on sale from Tuesday 10 August, the date that marks 25 years since the first of the two nights that saw the Gallagher brothers on stage.
After nearly two years without major live events around the world, “Oasis Knebworth 1996” will serve as a reminder to fans, old and new, of the exhilaration and bonding that only a great concert can bring.
The concert is built around archival material with never-before-seen content, backstage footage, as well as interviews with the band, organizers and fans in attendance.
Directed by Grammy Award winning director Jake Scott, this film is a joyous and at times moving cinematic celebration of one of the most iconic live concerts of the past 25 years, driven entirely by the music and the experiences of fans who tell firsthand accounts of that extraordinary weekend.
The record-breaking two nights were held on August 10 and 11, 1996, with over a quarter of a million young fans from around the world converging on Knebworth Park, Hertfordshire, to witness the legendary set.
Tickets then went on sale on May 11, 1996. Queues had been forming outside local music stores and ticket offices since the night before. The concert had sold out in less than 24 hours, shattering all UK box office records.
Organizers had estimated that the band could have sold two if not three times as much. More than 2% of the UK population had tried to buy tickets.
The Knebworth concerts, characterized from start to finish by a setlist full of classics, from the opening with “Columbia” and “Acquiesce” to “Champagne supernova”, “Don’t look back in anger”, “Live forever”, from a triumphant “I am the walrus” (accompanied by the orchestra), to “Wonderwall” (the first song of the ‘90s to exceed one billion streams on Spotify), simultaneously represented the peak of the band’s success and the gathering that became a milestone for a generation.
The film will be produced by Black Dog Films. Noel Gallagher and Liam Gallagher will serve as executive producers. It will be financed and distributed by Sony Music Entertainment and released in theaters by Trafalgar Releasing.
Liam Gallagher explains: «Knebworth for me was the Woodstock of the 90s. The only things that mattered were the music and the people. I don’t remember much about that concert, but I’ll never forget it. It was biblical.»
Noel Gallagher states: «I can’t believe we never played “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star” during both nights!».
Marc Allenby of Trafalgar Releasing says: «Oasis’ success and endless legacy defined a generation in a way that few bands have in music history. We are proud to bring this celebration film to theaters in this special event release, uniting fans from around the world to commemorate the 25th anniversary of these historic concerts».
