If you remember Blur vs Oasis, then it’s time to re-pop the chart battle…
Writer, comedian and music journalist Marc Burrows is to take The Britpop Show – a multimedia stand-up celebration of one of Britain’s most iconic and chaotic musical eras to over twenty venues on tour in 2026.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the mega Blur vs Oasis chart battle, and The Britpop Show unpicks the rivalries, hype, absurd personalities and unforgettable music that defined the 90s Britpop era and changed the face of UK culture.
During his career, Marc has interviewed some of Britpop’s biggest stars. With wit, warmth and a knack for finding the strange beneath the surface, he charts the rise and fall of a movement that started with hope and swagger and ended in excess and identity crisis.
At its peak, Britpop was more than music – it was freedom, fun, Hooch, Union Jacks on everything, and a generation of nerdy outsiders finding themselves suddenly famous. But what came after the Blur vs Oasis frenzy? What happened when Britpop stopped being fun? What influence did New Labour’s election victory have as the UK hurtled towards the millennium? And how did Damon Albarn sleep with so many people’s girlfriends?
Equal parts love letter and send-up, The Britpop Show is sharp, silly and surprisingly moving. It explores the legacy of the era, from middle-class pretension vs working-class grit to the way British music tried to reinvent itself in the ’90s, to what happened when cocaine, commercialisation and culture wars kicked in.
The show blends comedy, cultural commentary and nostalgic chaos to remember what made Britpop brilliant in the first place and to create something uniquely fun and resonant – a show for diehard fans, curious newbies, and anyone who remembers the distinct sound of 1995.
Packed with jokes, classic tunes, and a heartfelt celebration of the best (and worst) of a musical moment that still shapes British identity today, this is a joyous, raucous look back at the 90s. Remembering the music, memories and the mayhem, this show is an hour of pure fun that captures the spirit of a cultural moment when anything seemed possible.
Marc, an award-winning music and culture journalist (The Guardian, The Quietus, The Big Issue), is best known for his show The Magic of Terry Pratchett, based on his book of the same name, which is endorsed by Pratchett’s estate, has sold over 10,000 tickets across the UK on tour, played to great acclaim at the Adelaide Fringe, and recently sold out London’s Duchess Theatre with Terry Pratchett’s daughter, Rhianna Pratchett, as a special guest.
The Britpop Show – Tour Dates:
March 2026
Fri 6th – CAMBRIDGE The Junction
Sat 7th – COLCHESTER Colchester Arts Centre
Fri 20th – MILTON KEYNES The Stables
Fri 27th – BRISTOL Hen & Chickens
Sat 21st – LEICESTER The Y Theatre
April 2026
Fri 3rd- BATH Rondo Theatre
Thurs 9th- SOUTHAMPTON The Attic
Fri 10th – ANDOVER The Lights
Sat 11th – GUILDFORD Bellerby Studio (on sale 9th May ’25)
Weds 15th – NORWICH Norwich Playhouse (on sale soon)
Fri 17th – TIVERTON Comedy Hall
Sun 19th – BIRMINGHAM The Glee
Tues 21st – SHREWSBURY Walker Theatre
Weds 22nd – SOUTHPORT The Atkinson
Fri 24th – SALE Waterside Arts Centre (on sale 7th May ’25)
Sat 25th- SHEFFIELD The Foundry
Sun 26th – LEEDS The Glee Club
Tues 28th – EDINBURGH The Stand
Weds 29th – GLASGOW The Stand
Thurs 30th – NEWCASTLE The Stand
Tickets are available from: https://www.marcburrows.co.uk/the-britpop-hour
