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 Blur’s Country House and Roll With It by Oasis in a fight 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 London’s Richmond Theatre from May 19-23, 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 drama of the BRIT Awards all packed into the play titled The Battle.
You’ll only have a few days to catch it in the Big Smoke, 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, Manchester.
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.
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
Pre-sale for the London leg of ‘The Battle’ commences tomorrow at 9am for theatre members, and general sale tickets go on sale here at 10am on Friday, May 2. You can find out the ticket details for all shows at the play’s official website.
