It didn’t matter that the summer of 1995 was a year with no international football competition for England, because around these parts, there was only one clash that mattered: the ‘Battle Of Britpop’. A race pitting Country House by Blur and Roll With It by Oasis in a battle for the number one spot in the UK charts took place, featuring tribalism from fans and rivalry between the two bands.
And now, 30 years on, the infamous matchup will be retold onstage in a comedy written by John Niven and directed by Matthew Dunster that lands in Manchester’s Opera House from March 17-21, 2026. Hear about the story of the two hit singles gunning for the top spot of the charts in August ’95, the eventual ‘winners’, and the Blur and Oasis drama of the BRIT Awards all packed into the play titled The Battle.
You’ll only have a few days to catch it in Manchester, though, since this is touring across the whole UK, kicking off for an extended run in Birmingham in February, and hitting cities including Glasgow, Brighton, and, of course, London.
Speaking on the play, John Niven said: “1995: a time long before music splintered into a billion different Tik Tok feeds. When music was so central to the culture that two pop groups could dominate the entire summer, the evening news and the front page of every newspaper in the country. We’re going to take you back there. I’ve never written for the stage before, and it has been an absolute blast to do so for the first time with a producer as supportive as Simon and a director as talented as Matthew.”
Of course, as the press release details, we can expect some ‘filthy language and razor sharp dialogue’ given the brothers Gallagher are involved, though there’s no word on who will be playing each star just yet.
However, confirmed to play Britpop music executive, Andy Ross, caught in the crossfire of one of the most notorious rivalries in British music history until Saturday 30th May 2026 is Mathew Horne of Gavin and Stacey fame. Mathew says of joining the cast of the play: “This play is right in the sweet spot of my teenage cultural experience. I’m thrilled to be exploring this iconic era in music on stage with such a talented creative team involved.”
If you missed out on tickets to Oasis this summer, missed Blur’s Wembley shows in 2023, or were lucky enough to attend both and want more Britpop content, then this one is for you.
The Battle UK performances in 2026
February 11 – March 7: Birmingham, Birmingham Rep
March 9-14: Leicester, Curve Theatre
March 17-21: Manchester, Opera House
March 24-28: Churchill Theatre, Bromley
March 31 – April 4: Woking, New Victoria Theatre
April 14-19: Cheltenham, Everyman Theatre
April 21-25: Edinburgh, Festival Theatre
April 28 – May 2: Cardiff, Wales Millenium Centre
May 5-9: Sheffield, Lyceum Theatre
May 12-16: Ipswich, Regent Theatre
May 19-23: London, Richmond Theatre
May 26-30: Glasgow, Theatre Royal
June 19-13: York, Grand Opera House
June 16-20: Norwich, Theatre Royal
June 23-27: Nottingham, Theatre Royal
June 30 – July 4: Milton Keynes, Milton Keynes Theatre
July 7-11: Newcastle, Theatre Royal
July 14-18: Brighton, Theatre Royal
July 28 – August 1: Chester, Storyhouse
Tickets for the Manchester leg of ‘The Battle’ are on sale here. You can find out the ticket details for all shows at the play’s official website.