SJM granted Knebworth events licence

SJM Concerts, the promoter behind Oasis’s 2025 reunion tour, has been granted a premises licence for Knebworth House in Hertfordshire, according to reports published on August 6. The approval has revived speculation that Oasis could return to the site tied most closely to the band’s peak-era live reputation. North Hertfordshire Council granted the licence, and reports citing the council said it took effect this week and remains in place indefinitely. The application does not identify any artist bookings. ### What exactly did SJM get approved? North Hertfordshire Council granted SJM Concerts a premises licence for Knebworth House that allows concerts at the site for crowds of up to 125,000, according to BBC-linked follow-up coverage and Rolling Stone UK. The licence is described as indefinite rather than tied to a single event date. (rollingstone.co.uk) Sky News reported that the granted application appeared on the council website, while local coverage said the licence covers live music events at Knebworth Park. North Herts Council’s licensing pages show premises licences are the mechanism used for regulated entertainment at a specific location. ### Why did this set off Oasis talk immediately? (rollingstone.co.uk) Monday, August 10, 2026, marks 30 years since Oasis played Knebworth in August 1996, and multiple reports tied the timing of the licence to that anniversary. Oasis’s two 1996 Knebworth shows remain the band’s signature large-scale concerts, and current coverage repeatedly frames the venue as the site of their most famous gigs. (news.sky.com) SJM’s link to Oasis also sharpened the reaction. NME, Sky News and other outlets described SJM as the promoter of the band’s 2025 reunion tour, which is why the licence was read by fans and music outlets as more than a routine venue filing. None of those reports said Oasis had been confirmed for Knebworth. ### Is there any confirmed Oasis Knebworth booking? (rollingstone.co.uk) The short answer is no. Sky News said the licence application does not state which artists would perform, and Rolling Stone UK similarly reported only that SJM had secured the right to hold gigs at the venue. Far Out said earlier claims that Oasis were due to play five Knebworth shows in 2026 were later softened and presented as hypothetical rather than based on direct knowledge. (nme.com) That leaves the licence as an infrastructure step, not an announced concert plan. ### Why does Knebworth matter so much in Oasis history? August 1996 is central to the mythology around Oasis because the band’s Knebworth shows drew 250,000 fans across two nights, according to current coverage revisiting the anniversary. (news.sky.com) Reports this week have used those concerts as the benchmark for why any new Knebworth filing attracts immediate attention. (faroutmagazine.co.uk) Knebworth has also remained an active large-event venue. North Hertfordshire Council documents from July referred to traffic disruption linked to an Iron Maiden concert at Knebworth House, underscoring that the site is still used for major live shows independent of Oasis. ### What else is happening around Oasis right now? (nme.com) Yahoo News UK reported on August 6 that Oasis were expected to “bury old feuds” ahead of their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in Los Angeles in November, with former members Paul McGuigan, Alan White and Tony McCarroll part of the reported discussions. That report did not tie those talks directly to Knebworth. (democracy.north-herts.gov.uk) The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame said the 2026 induction ceremony will tape on Saturday, November 14, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. For now, the next fixed dates in the story are August 10, the 30-year Knebworth anniversary, and November 14, the Hall of Fame ceremony. (rockhall.com) (uk.news.yahoo.com)