Anais Gallagher has disclosed that Oasis will be unable to tour in China due to her father, Noel Gallagher, being banned from the country. The revelation comes after the band’s highly anticipated 2025 reunion tour, which kicked off at Heaton Park in Manchester before expanding globally following a 16-year hiatus.
Noel Gallagher Branded ‘Enemy of the People’
According to reports from the Daily Mail, the Chinese government has labeled Noel Gallagher an “enemy of the people,” effectively imposing a lifetime ban. Noel himself previously addressed the restriction, suggesting it stemmed from his participation in a pro-Tibet event.
In a video posted to YouTube, Anais Gallagher shared her perspective on the situation:
“I would love to go to China, I would love to see The Great Wall. I would love to travel China. My Dad is banned for life, an enemy of the people I actually think it is. So I’m not sure if that will affect me.”
Visa Complications for Family Members
Anais went on to speculate about potential pathways to visit China despite her father’s status, acknowledging the bureaucratic hurdles involved.
“t’s probably something I’ve got to look into with the embassy or something like that,” she said. “Trying to get a visa and that, I’m not sure it’ll be the easiest thing but I would love to go to China. That’s definitely something on my bucket list.”
Origins of the Ban: 1997 Tibetan Freedom Concert
The restriction appears linked to a 1997 performance by Noel Gallagher at a Tibetan Freedom Concert in New York City. Speaking to the Daily Star in 2022, Noel revealed he was unaware of the ban until Oasis was invited to tour China approximately two decades ago.
”I’ve got a letter somewhere from the Minister of The Interior saying, ‘You are an enemy of the people,’ or something like that”,
Noel recounted the sequence of events that brought the ban to light:
“I only found out I was banned when Oasis got invited to go to China a good 20 years ago,” he said. “We’d agreed to go and all the paperwork came and you had to send through a list of your songs and the Chinese government sent you back a list of songs that weren’t appropriate and we’d agreed to do all that.”
“About a month before we were about to leave I got a letter saying you lot can come but you can’t because of this thing you did for the Tibetan people. I’d forgot I’d even done it.”
Oasis Responds to 2009 Tour Cancellation
When the ban initially derailed tour plans in 2009, Oasis issued an official statement expressing their disappointment and hope for a future resolution:
“Oasis are extremely disappointed that they are now being prevented from undertaking their planned tour of mainland China and hope that the powers that be within China will reconsider their decision and allow the band to perform to their Chinese fans at some stage in the future.”
With Oasis back on the road in 2025, the China restriction remains a notable omission from their global itinerary, underscoring the long-lasting diplomatic repercussions of cultural and political engagements by international artists.
