Oasis Cancels 50,000 Tickets Amid Secondary Market Controversy Ahead of Comeback Tour
In a bold move to combat ticket scalping, Oasis has announced that it will be cancelling over 50,000 tickets for their upcoming 2025 comeback tour due to unauthorized resale on secondary platforms. When tickets first went on sale for the UK and Ireland leg of the tour on 31 August, fans were instructed that purchases could only be made through Ticketmaster or its approved resale partner Twickets. Despite the limited sales channels designed to curb mass ticket purchases by scalpers, as many as 14 million tickets were sold by the end of the day, leading to a frenzy among fans eager to secure their spot at one of the 17 shows.
The decision to restrict ticket sales aimed at minimizing the rampant issue of touts, who buy tickets in bulk and resell them at exorbitant prices. LiveNation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, confirmed that they will start cancelling tickets sold on secondary ticketing platforms that do not comply with their terms and conditions. An official spokesperson noted that only 4% of the tickets from the tour ended up on resale sites, a stark contrast to other major tours where it can be as high as 20%.
Secondary ticket platforms, including Viagogo and TicketSwap, are often criticized for allowing scalpers to list tickets at vastly inflated prices, taking advantage of fans' demand for entry to popular events. Reports surfaced that some Oasis tickets were listed for outrageous prices, exceeding €119,000. This has revived the ongoing debate about the ethics of ticket reselling and the impact of scalpers on live events.
Further complicating matters, Oasis' initial ticket sales garnered controversy due to accusations of price gouging. Fans expressed outrage upon discovering that the advertised prices for tickets were subject to dynamic pricing, which saw ticket rates surge dramatically at checkout. For instance, standing tickets originally priced at 135-160 pounds soared to as much as 355-421 pounds before fans completed their purchase. This has triggered investigations by both the UK's Competition and Markets Authority and Ireland's Competition and Consumer Protection Commission into the tour's pricing strategy.
While dynamic pricing is legal under EU consumer protection law, there are restrictions in place prohibiting price increases once the consumer has begun the checkout process. The uproar surrounding Oasis's ticket sales has opened up a necessary conversation about transparency in ticket pricing and the responsibilities of ticket vendors to protect consumers.
As the band gears up for their highly anticipated tour, these developments emphasize the urgent need for reform in ticket sales and the secondary market. Fans are eagerly watching to see how these cancellations will affect the landscape of ticket purchasing leading up to the tour's official launch.
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