Oasis have returned to their hometown of Manchester for the first of their sold-out shows in Heaton Park as Noel Gallagher paid a moving tribute to the late Caroline Aherne

Noel Gallagher dedicated a touching tribute to fellow Mancunian Caroline Aherne as he took to the stage with brother Liam again in their hometown. Oasis are playing five sold-out shows at Heaton Park in the city to 80,000 fans each night.

Last weekend, the iconic Britpop band paid tribute to footballer Diogo Jota following his tragic death aged 28. During their first Manchester show, Noel took time to pay tribute to comedian, actress, writer and director Caroline.

Noel dedicated Half the World Away to the late Royale Family star, who died in 2016 aged 52, as he said: “This one is for Caroline.” Caroline was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2014. Just today, it was revealed Noel had made an incredible gesture to the Teenage Cancer Trust, an organisation extremely close to his heart.

Actress and writer Caroline died in 2016 (
Image:
PA)
According to the charity’s website, it supports “specialised nurses, youth workers and hospital units in the NHS, so young people have dedicated staff and facilities to support them throughout treatment”.

It has been reported Noel is set to make a generous donation to the charity following the income made on Oasis’ world tour.

Oasis fans have descended on Manchester and unusually, the forecast has bucked the usual unpredictable weather during outdoor events, with hot weather sweeping the UK.

Manchester is set to see temperatures reach nearly 30 degrees over the weekend as the mini-heatwave continues. Bosses have relaxed their usual rules at Heaton Park and have encouraged fans to take water, suncream and hats into the venue.

Although taking food and drink into the venue is strictly prohibited, those attending can, instead, take a collapsible 500ml water bottle. Once inside the park, there will be dedicated water refill points, as well as the bar, which will be stocked with both alcoholic and soft drinks. Fans are also encouraged to wear sun protection and, if possible, a hat to reduce the risks of sunburn and sunstroke.

There will also be medical assistance from the three welfare tents, two situated to the left of the stage and one to the right, close to the merchandise stand and bar. However, dark scenes from inside the tents have shown the preparations in place to support those due to the heat.

BBC Radio 2 host and longtime Oasis fan Vernon Kay shared a glimpse inside a tent as rows and rows of medical beds could be seen. “Here we go, Heaton Park getting ready for those people who refuse to hydrate themselves,” Vernon said as he panned around the room.

He urged: “Come on, gets some electrolytes in your body. We don’t want to see you on any of these mats. These are not for yoga, these are not yoga mats. This is not a sun lounger. These are where people will recover.”