1st January, 2026 – 50th Anniversary of the original grand opening of the Oasis.

On the 18th March 2023, the Swindon Advertiser front page contained the headline “Save the Date! – 1st January 2026 – Swindon’s reopening target date revealed.”

It is interesting that Swindon Borough Council (SBC) and Seven Capital have published this target date out to the public. Only three weeks ago, when we had our meeting with them at Polaris House, they told us that they were working towards reopening the Oasis in November 2025. I suggested to them that the 1st January, 2026 is the 50th anniversary of the Oasis reopening, and would be a good way to reopen the Oasis with a bang. The Leaders of SBC and Seven Capital looked a bit surprised, as I don’t think they were initially aware of this. The Swindon Oasis Leisure Centre’s grand opening was on New Year’s Day 1976, and over 20,000 people attended.

Here we are, three weeks later and they have released into the public domain, the target deadline of 1st January 2026. Great news that they have finally committed to a target date, especially the momentous one such as the 50th anniversary of the Oasis. It still seems quite a while away, which is frustrating as we all want to get back into the pool as quick as we can, as we are all getting older. However reopening the Oasis is complex, as both the pool and dome are listed. Planning consents still have to be issued, along with issuing contracts etc before work can commence. The pressure is now on, and that time will soon fly.

The problem is, is that the timing of this coincides with the local elections in May. The Conservatives at SBC were probably desperate to issue the reopening target date for votes. However, Seven Capital have been working hard behind the scenes on this and it is just coming at the right time for SBC to release the date. I don’t think it is necessarily electioneering, its more of a convenience to SBC. Let’s not forget, SBC wanted the Oasis dome demolished and completely de-listed. The people of Swindon will never forget that, no matter how hard SBC try to claim all the credit for Seven Capital bringing back the Oasis. Swindon Borough Council also outsourced the Oasis, which means that the level of sporting facilities at the Oasis are likely to decrease, much to the outrage of Swindon residents.

You can view the article below.

Article here; Swindon’s Oasis reopening target date revealed | Swindon Advertiser