Oasis Tickets Resold for £6,000 Minutes After Presale: Band Issues Warning
Oasis have issued a stern warning to fans against reselling tickets for their highly anticipated comeback tour at inflated prices, after some were listed for thousands of pounds mere minutes after a pre-sale event.
A limited number of fans were given the opportunity to secure tickets during a three-hour pre-sale window on Friday evening. However, shortly after, tickets began appearing online on resale platforms for exorbitant prices, with some listed for over £6,000 - a staggering 40 times their face value.
Oasis strongly urged fans not to purchase tickets from unauthorised resale websites, stating that tickets sold outside of their official channels would be "cancelled."
Lisa Webb, a consumer law expert from Which?, advised fans to avoid buying tickets at inflated prices on resale platforms, citing potential scams and the risk of tickets being cancelled if sold outside of official channels or at above face value.
"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 said.
Resale websites such as StubHub and Viagogo displayed a range of inflated ticket prices, with listings including:
£6,000 for the band's first show at Wembley Stadium in London on 26 July
Between £916 and £4,519 for the first concert of the tour at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on 4 July
Over £4,000 for standing tickets at Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium on 12 August
More than £2,500 for the band's homecoming concert at Manchester's Heaton Park on 12 July
In contrast, the official ticket prices for the tour are significantly lower, with standing tickets costing around £150 and standard seated tickets ranging from £73 to £205. Prices for official premium packages go up to £506.
The band's promoters are expecting to sell around 1.4 million tickets for the 17 outdoor concerts planned for the UK and Ireland in July and August.
Oasis intervened on Friday evening during the pre-sale, issuing a statement that read: "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 band's promoters had previously issued a similar warning, stating that tickets sold through unauthorised resale platforms would breach terms and conditions and could be cancelled.
Viagogo and StubHub have been contacted for comment.
The general sale for UK shows begins at 09:00 BST on Saturday, with Dublin tickets available an hour earlier.
Ahead of the general sale, fans celebrated on social media after successfully securing tickets during the pre-sale.
"I'm actually going to see my favourite band of all time! Didn't think I'd ever see this," wrote one user. Another said: "I have 2 very excited daughters. Almost got deafened by the screaming when the purchase was verified." One fan joked: "They should still be together then" after securing tickets to the opening night of the tour.
As anticipation for the gigs mounts, sales and streams of the band's back catalogue have skyrocketed, with three albums making their way back into the UK top five chart on Friday.
The band's greatest hits collection, "Time Flies," is currently at number three, followed by their 1995 album "What's The Story Morning Glory" at number four, and their debut album "Definitely Maybe," released on 29 August 1994, is in fifth place. A 30th anniversary edition of "Definitely Maybe" was released on Friday.
Oasis, originally formed in Manchester in 1991, achieved immense success with their original line-up comprising of Liam and Noel Gallagher, guitarist Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs, bassist Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan, and drummer Tony McCarroll. The band officially split in 2009 following a backstage altercation at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris.
_Additional reporting by Helen Bushby and Ian Youngs._
