Oasis reunion tour marred by technical difficulties over ticket sales, ‘inflated’ prices

Tickets for next year’s Oasis reunion tour sold out by Saturday evening though fans eager to see the band play live for the first time in 16 years complained of technical issues and long online waits that often ended in disappointment.

Fans trying to access the three websites selling the tickets — Ticketmaster, See Tickets and Gigsandtours — reported issues including error messages and being kicked off before they could purchase tickets.

More than a million tickets for the band’s gigs were expected to sell out within minutes. Instead, the band announced all the tickets in Britain had been sold 10 hours later after many fans had spent the day in online queues.

Ticketmaster said its website had not crashed and the queue was moving along as fans bought tickets. Gigsandtours thanked people for their patience and said there had been “extremely high demand”.

At the same time, some tickets were relisted on resale sites such as Viagogo for as much as 8,000 pounds ($10,500).

The tour has also ignited a backlash over “dynamic pricing” after fans saw ticket prices soar from £135 to over £350 on Ticketmaster as demand surged. In response, UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy announced a government review to address “rip-off resales” and ensure ticket prices are fair, reported the BBC.

The dynamic pricing model, which adjusts prices based on demand, was criticised by fans and even by politicians like Lucy Powell, who paid more than double the original price for a ticket. Ticketmaster defended itself, stating that pricing is set by the event organiser. Meanwhile, the government aims to scrutinise these practices and improve transparency in ticket sales.

“There has to be a fairer, simpler, more efficient way of selling tickets,” said the British TV presenter Dan Walker on X. “In the queue, out of the queue, refresh/don’t refresh, wait in line, back of the line.”

Oasis announced 17 shows in the United Kingdom and Ireland, with the first due in Cardiff in July 2025, followed by nights in Manchester — where the band was formed in 1991 — London, Edinburgh and Dublin.

The group, whose debut album Definitely Maybe was released 30 years ago, split in 2009 when lead guitarist and main songwriter Noel Gallagher said he could no longer work with his younger brother, Liam, the band’s main singer.

At its peak in the 1990s, Oasis exemplified the soaring appeal of Britpop, with hits like ‘Wonderwall’, ‘Live Forever’ and ‘Champagne Supernova’. But Noel and Liam were often in conflict and their strained relationship finally snapped in 2009 as they prepared to play a Paris gig.

Since their split, both brothers have continued their musical careers, but always against the backdrop of calls from fans for the band to reunite.

The gigs are expected to provide a multi-million-pound boost for Britain and Ireland’s hospitality sectors.