Entertainment Swindon

On the 1st January 2026, Swindon will see one of its most iconic buildings, the Oasis reach its 50th anniversary. The had been hope over the last couple of years that the council and Seven Capital would have the leisure centre opened on its anniversary, but thats another story.

To keep the iconic building in people minds and and to celebrate the domes half century milestone, the Save Oasis Swindon campaign group have started crowed funding to put on a celebratory fireworks display over the dome.

The crowd funding that only started last week has already hit a major milestone itself by hitting £1000! The target of £5000 is well on its way and organisers of the 50th anniversary celebration are working hard behind the scenes. Site visit has already been done by local award winning fireworks display company Distant Thunder, and the campaign group have already started distributing fliers around Swindon and handed out fliers to shoppers in the town.

The 1st January 2026 will mark the exact 50th anniversary of the opening of the towns famous Oasis Leisure Centre, which opened to a fanfare on 1st January 1976.

Speaking to founder of the Save Oasis Swindon campaign group, Neil Robinson, he said: “The Oasis has now been closed for five years, but the it remains more iconic than ever, and badly missed by the community.
It was where Swindon people came together, to swim, watch a concert, play football or watch boxing and so much more!”

The Oasis also earned grade II listed status in 2021, preventing it from being demolished and forever lost.

Neil Robinson told Entertainment Swindon: “By helping to crowdfund towards the Oasis 50 fireworks, we are showing that the people of Swindon can come together, feel proud of the town again and show that we want the Oasis back open. We have £4,000 to go.

We are doing this because it would be sad to let this anniversary pass without doing anything. Some cynics have asked why are we celebrating an abandoned leisure centre, but it is more than that. It is a Swindon institution and grade II listed landmark. It earned this status in December 2021, after a hard fought community campaign. Ultimately the Oasis is badly missed by the community and people want it back open in full, including the sports hall”.

The plan for the evening of 1st Jan 2026 at 7pm, is for a small professional display 400ft above the dome, which will last about 3.5 to 4 minutes. This is enough time to make the dome spectacular for both drone and ground footage. If the campaign group surpass their target of £5000, they intend to also light up the dome with a light show at the Oasis as well.

Organiser, Neil, went on to say: “It is worth stressing that this isn’t a Lydiard or Polo ground style event, this is more about making the Oasis a stand out symbol on its anniversary. The car park is closed to cars, so we are encouraging people to arrive at the Oasis on foot instead.

We are appealing for more donations, as we still have a long way go go. We are also looking for local businesses or organisations who would like to sponsor Oasis 50. Our aim is to make the Oasis stand out, and we would be able to help your brand stand out in return”.

Entertainment are fully onboard and supporting the campaign by adding exposure to all businesses supporting the crowd-funder. Get in touch with Entertainment Swindon for more details at: info@entertainmentswindon.co.uk

The campaign group will be handing out leaflets in town this week.

If you want to donate, please head to the Oasis 50 crowd-funder page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/50th-anniversary-of-the-oasis-leisure-centre-fireworks