Rome, 2 September 2024 – If buying tickets for the long-awaited reunion had already proved difficult for Oasis fans, due to the malfunctioning of the sales sites, the problems triggered by the tour announced by the Gallagher brothers for 2025 do not stop there: the prices of ticket resales immediately skyrocketed and the storm over inflated prices pushed the British government to intervene on the issue.
Once the rush for tickets began last Saturday, the costs of securing a place on the dates in the United Kingdom and Ireland had reached dizzying figures on the secondary market sites – up to 6 thousand pounds – and had sparked protests from fans on social media. The warnings of the sites and of the band were to no avail, with the band writing on their X profile: “Since the start of the pre-sale we have noticed that some are trying to sell tickets on the secondary market. Please note that 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 organisers.” And in the meantime, all dates have sold out.
The Labour government’s culture minister, Lisa Nandy, has therefore decided to launch a consultation regarding “dynamic pricing” and online secondary ticketing. Nandy’s aim is to put an end to “fraudulent resales” and ensure that tickets are resold at “fair prices”. “Following the incredible news of Oasis’ return, it is depressing to see massively inflated prices excluding ordinary fans from the opportunity to enjoy their favourite band live,” the minister told Sky News.
The phenomenon of secondary ticketing with inflated prices is not new, but rather is common at concerts by very famous artists, such as Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. Before becoming prime minister, Keir Starmer had supported the introduction of a cap on ticket prices and limits on the number of tickets that could be resold.
This article is originally published on msn.com
