1996: 30 Years On Exhibition at the Barbican Music Library. Photo by Stuart Nicholls
The Barbican Music Library is currently hosting '1996: A Celebration of the Wildest Year of Britain’s Wildest Decade - 30 Years On', a new exhibition curated by journalist and former Sun editor Dominic Mohan, which revisits a defining moment in mid-1990s British culture.
Taking place at the Barbican Centre, the exhibition reflects on 1996 as a peak year for “Cool Britannia,” when music, fashion, sport and media converged to place Britain at the centre of global pop culture. The show brings together a wide range of artefacts from the era, including memorabilia from the Spice Girls, club culture ephemera, and cultural artefacts tied to the decade’s defining movements.
Geri Haliwell's Union Jack Spice Girls Boots: Photo by Andrew Buckingham/City of London Corporation
A key focus of the exhibition is the era’s music scene, with Oasis featuring prominently. Items connected to the band chart their rapid rise during a period when they became one of the most influential acts in Britain, capturing the energy and ambition of the Britpop movement at its commercial and cultural peak.
Curator Mohan said: "I'm thrilled that we've got Mel B's catsuit, Geri's platform boots, Emma B's dress, Liam's tambourine and a Brit Award trophy all jostling for position next to so many other incredible items.
"In creating this exhibition, I've hoped to capture that magical period when pop, rock, football, art, dance culture, food, the media and politics fused together spectacularly to become the wildest year of Britain's wildest decade."
Dominic Mohan surrounded by his '1996: 30 Years On Exhibtion'. Photo by Stuart Nicholls
Photography plays a central role in the exhibition, with acclaimed music photographer Jill Furmanovsky contributing a selection of her iconic images of Oasis. These prints offer an intimate visual record of the band’s ascent, documenting their presence within the wider cultural explosion of the mid-1990s.
Key images include Noel Gallagher embracing the crowd during Oasis' legendary gig at Maine Road, the Gallagher brothers backstage at The Point in Dublin and Noel Gallagher with his trademark Union Jack guitar during Oasis' Knebworth rehearsals at the NEC.
Jill Furmanovsky Oasis print on display in the '1996: 30 Years On' Exhibition. Photo by Stuart Nicholls
Together, the exhibition positions 1996 as more than nostalgia, instead presenting it as a vivid cultural snapshot of a moment when British music and style achieved unprecedented global influence. Through Mohan’s curatorial lens and Furmanovsky’s photography, the show captures the intensity, confidence and creativity that defined the era.
Exhibition runs until 19 September 2026.
Jill Furmanovsky limited edition prints featured in the exhibition are available to buy from Rockarchive.com
Dominic Mohan's book '1996: My Backstage Pass to the Wildest Year of Britain's Wildest Decade' can be purchased here.
Cover artwork for Dominic Mohan book.
