Oasis Reunion Tour Taylor Swift's concert is set to generate huge demand in the UK as thousands around the world scramble to get tickets. The band appears to be doing everything they can to prevent their fans being exploited by scalpers.
Oasis tweeted on Friday that they had already seen attempts to resell tickets and issued a warning that the only tickets that would be accepted come showtime were those purchased on the primary market or through a ticket exchange at face value via Ticketmaster and Twickets.
Oasis announced on its website that “tickets sold in violation of the terms and conditions will be cancelled by the organizers.” Pre-sale began on Friday, with the bulk of tickets set to go on general sale on Saturday.
In fact, resale sites like StubHub and Viagogo are currently listing the band’s Wembley concert listings for up to £6,347, or about $8,300. A Viagogo representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Face-value ticket swaps have become an increasingly popular way for artists to try to prevent brokers and ticket brokers from overcharging for tickets in the resale market. Other artists who have adopted this strategy on recent tours include Billie Eilish, Pearl Jam, and The Cure.
This strategy helps keep ticket prices low, but it makes it harder for fans to get tickets if they miss out on them during the general sale period. For example, Zach Bryan restricted resales of tickets for his Burn, Burn, Burn Tour last year, and while he said he was successful in keeping prices low, his social media feeds were flooded with messages from angry fans who couldn’t get tickets after they sold out.
Sellers and other critics of this strategy also claim that exchanges are not fan-friendly because they limit customers' options when it comes to their tickets.
Oasis fans are anxious as they prepare to go on sale tomorrow, with some predicting chaos as ticket buyers queue online in an attempt to secure seats. However, it should be noted that even in the most ideal circumstances, the reality is that a tour as big as Oasis will leave many fans disappointed as long as there are more fans in the queue than there are seats in the stadium.
The group's reunion marks one of the most highly anticipated tours in recent memory, ending a 15-year breakup caused by the notoriously volatile relationship between brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher.
“The guns have fallen silent, the stars have aligned, and the long wait is over. Come and see. The show will not be televised,” the band said in a statement about their comeback.
