Thousands of Oasis fans face having tickets cancelled - here's why
29 October 2024, 05:42 | Updated: 29 October 2024, 06:21
Tens of thousands of Oasis tickets, listed on authorised sites, will start to be cancelled over the next few weeks - and be put back on sale at face value.
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Promoters say people trying to make a profit from them are breaking the terms and conditions.
They reckon around four-percent of tickets sold for the band's reunion tour next year ended up on resale sites.
The promoters of the reunion concerts will begin cancelling tickets which have "broken the terms and conditions" in the coming weeks.
The Oasis Live '25 promoters said the "examination of ticket sales is ongoing" and the results will be "passed to relevant law enforcement".
They said cancelled tickets will be made available again on Ticketmaster, and warned fans not to purchase tickets from "unauthorised websites" as they may be "fraudulent".
It comes after the band announced they would return in 2025 for the first time since breaking up following a backstage brawl at the Rock en Seine festival in France, to play concerts in Manchester, Cardiff, London, Edinburgh and Dublin.
The band will also embark on a tour of the US, Canada and Australia.
A spokesperson for the promoters said: "Following on from commitments made by the band in the run-up to the Oasis Live '25 on sale, the tour's promoters have advised that ticket agents Ticketmaster and See Tickets will start the process of cancelling tickets that are believed to have broken the terms and conditions put in place for the tour in the coming weeks.
"These terms and conditions were successfully put in place to take action against secondary ticketing companies reselling tickets for huge profit, as a result only 4% of tickets have ended up on resale sites.
"By comparison, some major tours can see up to 20% of tickets appearing via the major unauthorised secondary platforms.
"The examination of ticket sales is ongoing and the results will be passed to relevant law enforcement once complete where appropriate.
"Cancelled tickets will be made available again at face value in due course from the official agency Ticketmaster. More details on this will be shared soon.
"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.
"If fans do want to sell Oasis tickets they can do so at face value through Ticketmaster or the band's official resale partner Twickets.
"For fans who believe they have had tickets cancelled in error, refer to the email sent by the relevant agent when informed."
During the initial ticket sale, fans were urged to only buy and sell tickets on official resellers Ticketmaster and Twickets, with a warning resale tickets bought elsewhere may be cancelled.
Tickets were spotted on reselling platform Viagogo for thousands of pounds, with standing passes ranging from £596 to £1,162 each for the Wembley dates and one VIP pass at £2,614 after sales were released earlier this year.
When tickets went on sale for the UK and Ireland shows via official channels, some standard tickets more than doubled from £148 to £355 and the situation was blamed on "unprecedented demand".
There was outrage from fans and the controversy prompted the Government and the UK's competition watchdog to pledge they would look at the use of dynamic pricing.
Ticketmaster has previously said it does not set concert prices and its website states this is down to the "event organiser" who "has priced these tickets according to their market value". It comes after the band announced that Liverpool-formed Britpop group Cast would be the second opening act for Oasis at all 19 dates on the UK and Ireland leg of the tour.
Cast frontman John Power, who began his career in The La's, said of the tour: "I'm blown away at the reunion. Oasis are the voice of a generation and the songs that they wrote and sung were and still are the soundtrack to many people's dreams. They are the people's band.
"I've known Noel and Liam (Gallagher) all through the years, we go way back. It's been some ride, some journey.
"I've felt and known their music personally, as a fan. It inspired me as a songwriter, it blew the whole scene open like nothing before and it reached way beyond the stratosphere. Everything changed.
"We were all part of that and we will all be part of this. I'm especially looking forward to revisiting my family's Irish roots when the tour hits Dublin. Let the opening chords shimmer and shine next July."
Former Verve singer Richard Ashcroft has already been announced as a supporting act for the tour.
