Oasis 2025 Reunion tour ticket pricing controversy explained: What happened?

British rock band Oasis unveiled its plans for a 2025 reunion tour on August 27, 2024, ending their 15-year-long break. The band had previously taken a hiatus following their split in 2009. However, the once-happy occasion turned sour when fans and critics took to social media to express their disdain over the sky-high ticket prices and technological glitches with the ticketing process.

Many fans were excited upon receiving the news, partly due to the brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher's feud, both of whom lead the band. Oasis is known for their hits like Wonderwall and Champagne Supernova, as well as years of public spats between the two brothers.

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"Unprecedented demand"

A pre-sale for the Oasis tour tickets went live on August 30, 2024, and only fans who got selected could access the tickets on their Ticketmaster accounts. Most complained of being locked out of their accounts despite waiting hours to access the tickets. Others reported receiving error notifications at the checkout stage of the ticket-buying process.

While tickets were expected to sell out in minutes, fans instead flooded social media with complaints of technical difficulties. When the general sale commenced the following day, fans complained of the same.

Moreover, general admission tickets were being sold at exorbitant prices, as opposed to the standard, expected range of pricing for a concert of this scale. In some cases, standard tickets were even being sold at over £250 for the Oasis reunion. VIP packages were soaring, reaching as high as £1,000. Soon enough, tickets made their way to the resale websites, where they were being sold for about £6,000.

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Why are the prices so high?

In light of the high ticket demand, Ticketmaster increased the pricing for such "in-demand" tickets. What was supposed to be £148 was now being sold for £355. "The Event Organiser has priced these tickets according to their market value," the Ticketmaster website states. Such a system came into effect in October 2022.

Furthermore, revenue generated in the music industry is not what it used to be. Due to the steep decline of tangible album sales and the success of streaming platforms, artists now have to rely on live performances to bring in a steady source of income. The same applies to concert ticket prices globally, not just for Oasis.

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Fans react to Oasis ticket pricing, claims it's "pure greed"

The backlash has been intense, with Tánaiste Micheál Martin urging promoters and ticket agents to take a second look at their actions. Irish Examiner reported that he said,

"There are a lot of disappointed people out there from the perspective of what they would see as price gouging".

Fans, as usual, did not hold back, with many calling on Oasis to step in.

"Imagine waiting 15 years for Oasis to get back together and you can’t get tickets because greedy d**kheads are buying them up so they can resell them for ten times the price," one user shared.

"Does this include Ticketmaster printing whatever face value they like? Pure greed," another user said.

"It would be nice if your ‘face value’ tickets were just that and not subject to this demand pricing pish," another added.

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Tickets for the Oasis tour in the UK and Ireland have already sold out. In light of the "unprecedented demand," the band has decided to extend the tour by three more dates. The tour will see them play in Cardiff, Manchester, London, Edinburgh, and Dublin.