Oasis to cancel thousands of tickets sold on secondary platforms

Thousands of tickets acquired through resale websites are slated for cancellation by Oasis in anticipation of their forthcoming reunion tour. The band’s promoters, Live Nation and SJM, have informed BBC File on 4 that they will invalidate over 50,000 tickets for the band’s UK performances that were listed on secondary platforms. It was stated that all such cancelled tickets will be re-released for purchase at face value via the official vendor, Ticketmaster. When Oasis announced their UK tour in August, 1.4 million tickets were made available for sale, yet more than 10 million fans from 158 countries joined the queue. Within hours, thousands of tickets began appearing on resale sites at inflated prices. For the 2025 Oasis reunion tour, fans were advised that tickets could only be bought at face value through Ticketmaster or its designated resale partner, Twickets. The band’s promoters explained that this measure was implemented to combat price inflation and deter ticket touting. Live Nation and SJM disclosed to the BBC that four percent of tickets, approximately 50,000, ended up on resale sites. They indicated that the process of cancelling these tickets, which are believed to have breached the established terms and conditions, will commence shortly. They further added that any fans who believe their tickets were cancelled in error will be able to contact the relevant ticket agent to have their case investigated. A company spokesperson stated: “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.” 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 caution from Oasis’ promoters, leading secondary ticket company Viagogo has announced its intention to continue selling tickets for the tour. Matt Drew, who oversees business development for Viagogo, told File on 4: “Two percent of Oasis tickets are on Viagogo and Stubhub.” He added, “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.” In the UK, the resale of tickets is legal provided they are acquired legitimately, and consumer protection laws are in place. All events listed on the Viagogo website are required to inform buyers if the event prohibits ticket resale. File on 4 has observed instances of ticket sellers from various global locations utilizing secondary sites, including a trader in Hawaii selling 27 Oasis tickets at £793 each, another in Brazil offering up to 10 tickets for every concert on the tour, as well as sellers in Dubai, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, and Ukraine. One ticket on Viagogo is listed at £11,000, while another on StubHub is advertised for £119,000. Ticketmaster reported that on the day of the Oasis sale, it blocked 250 million suspicious actions. Live Nation and SJM affirmed their ongoing commitment to monitoring secondary sites and stated that findings will be shared with law enforcement where appropriate. This tour will mark the first time the Gallagher brothers have performed together since 2009. Beginning in Cardiff on 4 July 2025, the duo is also scheduled to play additional dates in Manchester, London, Edinburgh, and Dublin. The band will also perform in countries including the US, Japan, and Mexico. Last month, Oasis announced they would discontinue dynamic pricing for the American leg of their reunion tour, after it resulted in “an unacceptable experience” for UK fans. This system increases the price of concert tickets during periods of high demand. When Oasis’ UK dates went on sale, some fans were charged over £350 for tickets with an initial face value of £150. The band encountered significant backlash, prompting the UK’s competition regulator to launch an investigation into whether Ticketmaster violated consumer protection law. In a statement announcing dates in the US, Canada, and Mexico, the group’s managers expressed their desire to “avoid a repeat of the issues” faced by fans in the UK and Ireland. Additional reporting was contributed by Matt Pintus. BBC File on 4 is examining the online ticketing market, uncovering how touts are utilizing increasingly sophisticated methods to obtain tickets that they then resell for significant profits. This investigation, titled “Gig Economy: The Ticketing Business,” is currently available on BBC Sounds and is scheduled for broadcast on Radio 4 at 8pm on Tuesday and 11am on Wednesday. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Details on their approach to external linking are available.