Oasis fans ready for ticket war ahead of 'unprecedented demand' in Saturday's general release
31 August 2024, 07:56
Oasis fans are set to scramble for tickets for the band's reunion tour as the general sale goes live on Saturday morning with "unprecedented demand".
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
The band has announced 17 concerts in the UK and Ireland in 2025 after their 15-year split with tickets due to go on sale at 8am for Ireland shows and 9am for UK gigs.
The Gallagher brothers initially announced 14 dates but added three extra concerts in the UK following "unprecedented demand".
The band will appear twice in Dublin and Cardiff, three times in Edinburgh and will perform on five occasions in London and hometown Manchester.
A small number of fans were able to buy the first set of tickets released from 7pm on Friday evening.
But the band was quick to issue a warning to touts after tickets were listed for thousands of pounds after going on pre-sale.
Tickets were soon put on offer for more than £10,000 on one listing site, which is many times the regular cost of a standing ticket.
The band said in response to the news: "We have noticed people attempting to sell tickets on the secondary market since the start of the pre-sale.
"Please note, tickets can ONLY be resold, at face value, via @Ticketmaster and @Twickets. Tickets sold in breach of the terms and conditions will be cancelled by the promoters."
The Manchester Britpop band previously warned fans to not buy presale codes or transfer them to someone else as they "only work with the registered email address".
Lisa Webb, consumer law expert at Which?, said: "We'd strongly advise against buying any of the resale tickets currently popping up online at inflated prices.
"Not only is there a chance that some of these listings could be scam attempts, but even legitimate tickets could be cancelled, rendering them invalid, if they are sold outside of the official resale platforms or at above face value."
She added: "We'd also recommend paying using your credit card if the tickets cost more than £100, or by PayPal, which also offers an extra layer of protection provided you choose 'paying for an item or service' rather than 'sending to a friend'."
Tickets for Oasis' 15 UK shows in London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Cardiff will go on main sale at 9am on Saturday while the sale for their two Dublin gigs will launch at 8am.
The band had to reassure fans earlier this week that confirmation emails would be sent to those who had entered the ballot after they claimed to receive an "unprecedented volume" of interest.
To enter the ballot, fans had to say who the band's original drummer was, and were offered the options of Chris Sharrock, Alan White and the correct answer, Tony McCarroll, who drummed with the band from their formation until 1995.
Entrants were also asked how many times they had seen the band.
The cheapest Oasis tickets on standard sale will cost fans £72, with the most expensive over £500.
Oasis will play five nights at London's Wembley Stadium where seats begin at £74.25, with the most expensive ticket a £506.25 pre-show party, exhibition and seated package.
The cheapest seats are Cardiff's Principality Stadium shows, which will set fans back £73, and Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium at £74, according to Manchester-based promoter SJM Concerts, which runs the website Gigs And Tours.
Before the announcement for UK shows, Irish promoters MCD said on its website that the price of both of the two Croke Park gigs in Dublin will start at 86.50 euros (£72.75) without booking fees.
In the band's home city of Manchester, tickets start from £148.50, with only standing available alongside a number of hospitality and luxury packages.
Standing tickets at Wembley will cost fans £151.25, with the same tickets in Cardiff and Edinburgh slightly cheaper at £150 and £151 respectively.
Noel and his brother Liam put their acrimonious split behind them, confirming the band's long-awaited reunion on Tuesday, saying: "The great wait is over."
It has not been announced who will be performing with Liam and Noel as part of Oasis but it has been reported that Paul Arthur's - better known as Bonehead - and the band's original guitarist will be returning.
Fans have been urging the brothers to regroup since they disbanded, a split prompted by a backstage brawl at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris.
Noel, 57, quit the Manchester rock group on August 28, 2009, saying he "simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer", and the brothers have made negative comments about each other for more than a decade.
