Thousands of Oasis tickets to be cancelled in touting clampdown
Thousands of tickets for the Oasis reunion tour in 2025 that are currently listed on re-sale websites will be cancelled by the band and the relevant promoters.
The move comes after the significant fallout from the rush to purchase Oasis tickets for 2025, which saw many fans lose out on the chance to see the Gallagher brothers back in action. Ticket prices rose to eye-watering levels beyond face value due to the unprecedented demand and Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing being in use, which was unbeknownst to most of the public. There was such a demand for tickets that the websites of primary vendors, Ticketmaster, Gigs and Tours and See Tickets, crashed before they went on sale.
When Oasis announced their UK tour in August 2024, 1.4million tickets were on sale, and over 10million fans from across the world joined the online queues.
Not only did the tickets rise to astounding heights when on sale, but many that were purchased are now being sold for extremely inflated costs on resale sites, such as Viagogo. In response to this, Oasis issued a statement announcing they had partnered with Twickets, a site that allows fans to sell tickets at face value, and have instructed fans not to buy from secondary sellers.
They wrote: “Please note, Oasis Live ‘25 tickets can only be resold at face value via Ticketmaster and Twickets! Tickets appearing on other secondary ticketing sites are either counterfeit or will be cancelled by the promoters.”
Now, the band’s promoters, Live Nation and SJM, have told BBC Radio 4’s File on 4 that it will cancel over 50,00 tickets for the UK dates currently listed on secondary platforms. It has said that all invalidated tickets will be made available through Ticketmaster at face value.
Live Nation and SJM told the station that four per cent of tickets have ended up on re-sale sites, which accounts for nearly 50,000. It said that the process of cancelling tickets which are believed to have broken their terms and conditions, will soon be rolled out.
It added that fans who believe they have had their tickets cancelled in error will be able to speak to the relevant agent to have their case examined.
A spokesperson for the company said: “These terms and conditions were successfully put in place to take action against secondary ticketing companies reselling tickets for huge profit. Only four percent of tickets have ended up on resale sites. Some major tours can see up to 20 percent of tickets appearing via the major unauthorised secondary platforms.”
The message continued: “All parties involved with the tour continue to urge fans not to purchase tickets from unauthorised websites as some of these may be fraudulent and others subject to cancellation.”
Despite the warning, Viagogo has said it will continue to sell the tickets. Matt Drew, who oversees International Business Development for the company, told File on 4: “Two percent of Oasis tickets are on Viagogo and Stubhub… We will continue to sell them in the way the regulator says we can. We are serving a clear consumer need, we will continue doing it on that basis.”
While the resale of tickets in the UK is legal, all events that are listed on the Viagogo website must inform consumers whether the actual event prohibits tickets being resold. File on 4 reports astronomical amounts being charged by secondary sellers worldwide for Oasis tickets, including a trader in Hawaii selling 27 tickets for £793 each.
What action is being taken to combat ticket touts?
New research conducted by O2 and YouGov, has found that ticket touts operating in the British live music sector are profiting from fans to the tune of £145million annually. It was found that 62 per cent of fans buying from a resale site don’t realise they’re doing so from another person.
Following the fallout from the manic rush to obtain Oasis tickets, the government pledged to enact a consultation into touting and Ticketmaster’s “dynamic pricing.”
According to O2, three key things are needed to combat the confusion and profiteering as seen with the Oasis tickets debacle, and these are better legislation against the sale of tickets for significant profits, clearer information during the sale process on resale platforms, and clear identification of resale platforms on search engines. As it stands, resale sites can buy their way to the top of search results, and not mention that their tickets are actually second-hand.
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