OASIS made a powerful and emotional return to the stage on Friday night, kicking off their long-awaited reunion tour with a heartfelt tribute to Liverpool forward Diogo Jota, who tragically died earlier this week.
The band’s first show in 16 years took place at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, where 75,000 fans gathered for a night that turned unexpectedly somber when Liam and Noel Gallagher paid homage to the late Portugal international.
Jota, 28, and his younger brother Andre, 26, were both killed in a devastating car crash in northwestern Spain during the early hours of Thursday morning. The accident occurred just 11 days after Jota married his longtime partner, Rute Cardoso, with whom he shared three young children.
Midway through the set, OASIS performed their anthem “Live Forever” in Jota’s memory. As the song’s outro played, a powerful image of Jota wearing his Liverpool No. 20 shirt appeared on the massive stadium screens, prompting an outpouring of emotion from the crowd. Red flares lit up the night sky, and a Portugal flag was held high, waving in tribute.
“The emotion in the place was absolutely incredible — never seen so many middle-aged men sobbing,” one concertgoer posted on social media. Another added, “OASIS just dedicated ‘Live Forever’ to Diogo Jota tonight. Literally brought a tear to my eye.”
“Seeing that Jota tribute at OASIS has set me off again. Beautiful. How are we never gonna see him again,” read another moving message shared online.
OASIS are scheduled to play another show in Cardiff tonight before heading to Manchester’s Heaton Park for a string of massive performances starting July 11.
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