Oasis fans face having their tickets cancelled

Oasis fans are bracing for significant ticket cancellations ahead of the band’s eagerly anticipated reunion tour. Promoters Live Nation and SJM have announced plans to cancel over 50,000 tickets sold on secondary resale websites, a move designed to combat ticket touting and inflated prices.

According to a report by BBC File on 4, these invalidated tickets will be made available again through the official seller, Ticketmaster, at their original face value. The announcement comes after Oasis’s UK tour was met with overwhelming demand; when tickets went on sale in August, a staggering 1.4 million tickets were available, but over 10 million fans from 158 countries queued for a chance to purchase them. Within hours, many of these tickets appeared on resale platforms at significantly marked-up prices.

When tickets for the 2025 tour were released, fans were instructed to buy only through Ticketmaster or the authorized resale partner, Twickets, to ensure fair pricing. Promoters have expressed concerns about the percentage of tickets that ended up on unauthorized resale sites—around 4%, equating to close to 50,000 tickets. The cancellation process for these tickets is expected to occur shortly, with any fans who believe their tickets were canceled in error advised to contact the relevant ticket agents for investigation.

A spokesperson for the promoters emphasized that the terms and conditions were implemented to deter secondary ticketing companies from reselling tickets for inflated profits. While only a small fraction of tickets have ended up on resale sites, the promoters noted that major tours often see much higher percentages—up to 20%.

Despite these warnings, leading secondary ticket company Viagogo has stated it will continue selling tickets for the tour. Matt Drew, Viagogo’s head of business development, noted that around 2% of Oasis tickets are available through their platform and StubHub. He asserted that they would comply with regulatory requirements while serving what he described as a clear consumer need.

The resale of tickets is legal in the UK, provided they are obtained legitimately, with laws in place to protect consumers. Viagogo and other secondary platforms must inform buyers if an event prohibits resale.

Reports have surfaced of sellers around the globe using secondary sites to peddle Oasis tickets at exorbitant prices, including one trader in Hawaii offering 27 tickets for £793 each, and listings in countries like Brazil, Dubai, and Germany. In stark contrast, tickets on Viagogo have been spotted priced as high as £11,000, while StubHub features listings reaching £119,000. On the day tickets went on sale, Ticketmaster reported blocking 250 million suspicious transactions to curb potential ticket scalping.

Live Nation and SJM have pledged to continue monitoring secondary platforms and will report any findings to law enforcement where necessary. This reunion tour will mark the first time that the Gallagher brothers have performed together since 2009, starting in Cardiff on July 4, 2025, with additional dates planned in Manchester, London, Edinburgh, and Dublin. They will also extend their tour to the U.S., Japan, and Mexico.

In a move to address previous backlash over dynamic pricing during their UK tour, which had led to some fans being charged over £350 for tickets originally priced at £150, Oasis has announced it will not employ this pricing strategy for the American leg of their tour. This decision comes after criticism from fans and an investigation by the UK’s competition regulator regarding potential breaches of consumer protection laws by Ticketmaster.

The band’s management stated that their goal is to “avoid a repeat of the issues” faced by fans in the UK and Ireland as they roll out the dates for the international tour. As anticipation builds, fans remain hopeful that these measures will create a fairer ticket-buying experience for all.