Alongside my K-pop adventure in Amsterdam, there was another huge music event on the agenda this summer: Oasis in Edinburgh! We had been holding on to those coveted tickets for almost a year, so expectations were sky-high.

Across the Channel

Not long after my early return from the rainy camping trip along the Moselle, I set off again with two friends, this time heading for Northern England and Scotland. On Monday we drove to IJmuiden to catch the ferry to Newcastle. The overnight crossing turned out to be pretty intense thanks to storm Floris, but it also gave us spectacular views of a fiery sunset and a gigantic rainbow right in the eye of the storm.

On Tuesday we arrived in Newcastle with some delay, battered by the waves. Luckily, customs was smooth: the magic word Oasis made the officers laugh with cheerful envy and wave us straight through.

Exploring Newcastle

Since we couldn’t check into our accommodation in Jedburgh until later in the day, we decided to explore Newcastle first. We hadn’t even been parked for ten minutes before we spotted a bookshop… Barely an hour on English soil and we were already carrying a bag of books. Priorities, right?

After that we walked past Grey’s Monument, the cathedrals, “The Vampire Rabbit,” the castle, and of course the Tyne Bridge. Somewhere in between we stopped for lunch in a pub (British cider + jacket potato for me).

Jedburgh as our base

In the late afternoon we continued our journey, driving past wide, heather-covered landscapes, towards Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders.

The house we stayed in was huge: double bedrooms, plenty of bathrooms, plus a cosy living room, kitchen, and dining area. Even better, our fourth concert buddy joined us in Jedburgh—she and her family had managed to rent a place on the same street. That meant we could already enjoy a fun dinner together in town that very evening.

The next day we enjoyed the local countryside with a long walk, followed by coffee and cake in the village, a visit to the independent bookshop (which of course we had to support), and in the evening a classic British take-away with fish & chips.

Edinburgh: chasing Harry Potter in Oasis vibes

On Thursday we went to Edinburgh for the first time, partly to prepare for the big concert the following day, and partly to explore the city.

Of course the car ride came with the proper playlist, but even in town the Oasis mania was unmistakable. The Scotrail announcer cheerfully slipped in Oasis lyrics: “Some Might Say trains will be busy,” “Roll with it and buy your tickets before boarding,” “Be our Wonderwall,” …

Edinburgh city centre was packed, since besides Oasis there was also the Fringe Festival and the Military Tattoo going on. Still, we managed some sightseeing: the Royal Mile, St. Giles Cathedral (where we even caught part of a service), Diagon Alley a.k.a. Victoria Street for a butterbeer (yuck!), and Greyfriars Kirkyard in search of McGonagall and Tom Riddle.

Friday was D-day. We headed back to Edinburgh around noon, this time opting for a hop-on-hop-off bus to save our legs. We saw Holyrood Park and Arthur’s Seat (only from a distance—we had a long evening ahead of us) and filled up with a hearty pub meal.

Since the queues at the official Oasis shop were endless, we bought our shirts in another store. I went for Definitely Maybe, not just a brilliant album, but also a pretty accurate description of my decision-making skills, lol. Afterwards we popped into Waterstones for coffee and a quick bathroom break.

The concert!

And then… finally… the march towards Murrayfield Stadium. After some hassle with an overcrowded tram, we joined the walking crowd instead. Inside, the official merchandise stalls turned out to be surprisingly easy to access, so I still managed to get my favourite concert shirt!

Richard Ashcroft delivered a strong support act, but I was really just counting down the minutes until Oasis. And what a show it was…

Epic, goosebumps, tears of emotion, singing, screaming, jumping. Three hours of pure magic. This was so much better than I ever dared to dream.

Wrapping up

On Saturday we ended our trip with a visit to Jedburgh Abbey and Mary Queen of Scots’ Visitor Centre.

And then it was back onto the ferry. This time, a completely different experience: calm sea, glorious sunshine, and a stunning sunset.

And just like that, our adventure was over. Oasis in Edinburgh was an experience I’ll never forget. And secretly, I hope there will be another European tour someday—because if there is, I’ll be first in line for tickets!

Cheers,
Charlotte